UPSC Mains 2016 · GS III · Q18 · 12.5 marks · 200 words

“Terrorism is emerging as a competitive industry over the last few decades.” Analyze the above statement.

हिन्दी में

‘‘पिछले कुछ दशकों से आतंकवाद एक प्रतिस्पर्द्धात्मक उद्योग के रूप में उभर रहा है।’’ उपर्युक्त कथन का विश्लेषण कीजिए।

Terrorism

How a topper answered the closest question

Toppers wrote this one in a test series: “Discuss how emerging technologies and globalization contribute to terror financing. Elaborate measures to tackle the menace of terror financing both at national and international levels.”

Ujjwal PriyankAIR 10 · CSE 2025 · 154 wordsTheir whole copy

Opening

Terror financing has become more sophisticated and difficult to track due to increasing use of digital technologies and emergence of global market.

Body · points and prose

Role of technology

  1. Blockchain technology: Emergence of crypto currency has made it difficult to track the identity.
  2. Money laundering through hawala transaction where the "layering" is difficult to track.
  3. Use of Unmanned Aerial vehicles for trafficking of arms and drugs under organised crime.
  4. Cyberspace emerging as a space for fund generation and cyberterrorism.
  5. Role of international NGOs: Many civil society are involved in Terror financing. Eg: FCRA regulation in India.

Thus measures are needed at both national as well as global levels to tackle the menace.

National Level

  1. Strengthening PMLA via recent amendment to involve virtual digital assets.
  2. Ensuring digital adoption via Enforcement Directorate
  3. Enhanced border surveillance to track drones.
Diagram
Global level efforts 1) Role of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) can be improved 2) No Money For Terror -> collaboration with France 3) Surveillance of digital tools in dark web via RAT at SCO

Close · a way forward

Thus, this menace of cyberspace for terror financing needs proactive support of multiple stakeholders.

2 more toppers’ answers to this question, part by part, and how they all approached it: open the question.

Toppers’ answers to other close questions

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Main) Examination 2016, General Studies Paper III, Q18. The paper on upsc.gov.in. Themes and links to toppers’ answers are by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.