Rs 3.5 lakh crore needed for internal security in 2020-25: MHA
New Delhi, April 21: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Saturday said it had informed the 15th Finance Commission about its budgetary requirement of more than Rs 3.5 lakh crore for internal security and other responsibilities between 2020-25.
"The budgetary requirement is meant for internal security, Central Armed Police Forces, police modernisation, border security, disaster management and Union Territories," a Ministry statement said.
A detailed memorandum will be submitted later to the panel, it said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with Finance Commission Chairman N.K. Singh on Thursday whereing the Ministry made a presentation to say that its responsibilities vis-a-vis diverse and varied internal security challenges have increased, even though ‘public order' and ‘police' are constitutional responsibilities of the states.
"The capabilities of the states alone are not adequate to meet the threats of insurgency and terrorism which have national and international links," the Ministry added.
The MHA said it also faced other challenges like improving the sense of security among the public, making vulnerable sections like women and children safer, meeting cyberthreats and providing immediate relief and rehabilitation during natural disasters.
There is a steady improvement in the overall security situation in the hinterland, northeastern states and Left-Wing Extremism-affected areas due to concerted efforts of the Centre and the states but relentless efforts are needed to consolidate the gains, the MHA said.
The Finance Commission was briefed on various schemes being implemented by the MHA, which require continued capital expenditure, such as modernisation of police forces crime and criminal tracking network and systems, immigration, visa, foreigners registration and tracking, coastal security, border infrastructure, and integrated check posts.
Capital investment is also required to make appropriate use of new technologies for cybersecurity and border management, it said.
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Seema Haider under deportation fear after Pahalgam retaliation; her lawyer says she's 'Indian'
Lucknow, Apr 24 (PTI): Seema Haider, who made it to the headlines when she left Pakistan to marry her Indian lover, faces fresh scrutiny now that the Centre has ordered all citizens of that country to leave India before the month ends, in retaliation to Pahalgam attack.
Seema, who was already married back home in Sindh province, had illegally entered India via Nepal in 2023 along with her four children.
Despite the countrywide backlash, her lawyer is hopeful that she will be allowed to live in India, as, he claimed, she was no longer a Pakistani citizen.
"Seema is no longer a Pakistani national. She married Sachin Meena, a resident of Greater Noida, and recently gave birth to their daughter, Bharti Meena. Her citizenship is now connected with her Indian husband, and therefore the Centre's directive should not apply to her," Advocate AP Singh told PTI.
Singh argued that the Centre's order was applicable only to those who currently hold Pakistani citizenship.
"Seema is in India, and she is Indian. A woman's nationality is determined by her husband's nationality after marriage," he said.
He also pointed out that her case is distinct because it is already under investigation by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).
"I have also filed a petition on her behalf with the President of India. She is out on bail and has been fully complying with the conditions set by the Jewar court, which include not leaving her in-laws' residence in Rabupura, Greater Noida," Singh added.
Citing international legal frameworks, Singh said, "The International Court of Justice and the Guardianship Act clearly state that a mother is the best guardian for a child. Would you want to send a daughter born in India to Pakistan?"
He said Seema's marriage and motherhood are part of a naturalised process.
"The birth certificate issued by the Uttar Pradesh government names Seema Meena as the mother and Sachin Meena as the father of the child. This reinforces her integration into Indian society," the lawyer said.
Asked if these arguments are likely to secure Seema an exemption from the Centre's directive, Singh said, "She qualifies for exemption. The Guardianship Act says the child must stay with the mother."
In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed, the central government suspended visa services for Pakistani nationals as part of a series of retaliatory steps.
A Cabinet Committee on Security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took the decision on Wednesday.
The Ministry of External Affairs also announced that all valid visas issued to Pakistani nationals will be cancelled effective April 27. Medical visas will remain valid only until April 29. All Pakistani nationals currently in India have been instructed to leave the country before their visa expires.
At present, Seema lives with husband, Sachin, in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida.
