Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said the Centre is building a strong, integrated security architecture to make India’s borders “impenetrable”, with a focus on preventing infiltration, narcotics trafficking, organised crime and demographic changes in border areas.
Addressing the Land Border Districts’ Superintendents of Police Conference-2026 in New Delhi, Shah said the conference has institutionalised a comprehensive approach to border security and will also serve as a platform to address challenges, evolve policy responses and strengthen coordination among stakeholders.
He said the government is creating a “quadrangular security grid” by integrating border guarding forces, state governments, district administrations, Central agencies and local communities to move India’s border management from a reactive to a proactive framework.
“India’s border security system, based on the vision of a Smart Border, will become the most modern in the world in the coming years,” Shah said.
The Home Minister said a secure border, prosperous border regions and a vigilant society together form the foundation of national security.
Highlighting the government’s security initiatives, Shah said investment in border infrastructure has increased by 400 per cent under the Modi government and that the strengthening of border security is being pursued through a scientific and technology-driven approach.
He said the government is also transitioning from an isolated border outpost model to an integrated security grid to improve surveillance, coordination and operational efficiency.
Referring to internal security, Shah said the country has been freed from Naxalism and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the North-East under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing it as a collective achievement.
He also expressed confidence that the government would deal a decisive blow to the narcotics network within the next three years.
“We are creating a robust system to make the country completely infiltration-free and ensure that infiltration does not happen at all,” Shah said.
The Home Minister said the government is fencing the 1,610-km India-Myanmar border at a cost of Rs 31,000 crore to strengthen border management and curb illegal activities.
He said the government’s priorities include preventing proxy war, illegal infiltration, radicalisation, narcotics trafficking, smuggling, drone-related threats, cybercrime, organised crime and demographic changes in border regions, while making border areas more secure and economically vibrant.
Shah also highlighted the Vibrant Villages Programme, under which the government is working to prevent migration from border villages, generate employment opportunities and ensure full implementation of welfare schemes.
Speaking on demographic changes in border districts, Shah said the government has launched a Demography Mission to study demographic trends, identify abnormal factors contributing to demographic growth and recommend measures to address them.
He asserted that illegal infiltration is the primary reason behind demographic changes in border areas and stressed the need for timely reporting of such developments from the grassroots to the highest levels of government.
The conference was attended by Union Ministers of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Union Home Secretary, Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Directors General of Police of border states and other senior officials.
