The maintenance of internal security and public order in a state or a union territory is a matter of top priority for any government or ruling dispensation, more so when it comes to strategically located border regions like Jammu and Kashmir or Ladakh.

When it comes to J&K, which has faced monumental challenges in the form of countering terrorism and militancy for decades, what we see historically is that maintaining security is a delicate balancing act, where the ruling dispensation not only has the responsibility of enforcing pre-emptive measures and imposing reasonable restrictions, but also must minimise inconveniencing the people at large to enable them to live in a peaceful and stabilising environment, carrying on with their daily routines and existence.
It is a non-negotiable premise that the civil, police and security force administration must ensure consistent and constant close coordination and cohesive action to effectively maintain internal security in a sensitive and volatile region like J&K.
So, it should surprise no one when the Central Government highlights the fact that it has spent over Rs. 9000 crores in the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir and that most of this substantially large amount has been used for the maintenance of security, especially in the 28 months after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A – controversial and debatable legislations that gave the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Special Status and the mandate to define its domicile rules.
According to the Government of India (GOI), Rs. 9,120.69 crores has been provided to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir under the Security Related Expenditure (Police) scheme since August 5, 2019 and this includes an amount of Rs. 448.04 crores spent till December 31, 2020 following the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir.
How important is the need for reviewing and upgrading the security apparatus in Jammu and Kashmir can be gleaned from the fact that notwithstanding the presence of army troops and paramilitaries in large numbers in the Kashmir Valley since the early 1990s because of several security-related threat perceptions, the Centre has found it necessary to raise a further five India Reserve (IR) Battalions, two Border Battalions (BB) and two Women Battalions (WB) for Jammu and Kashmir.
As per latest reports, the administration has completed recruitment for five IR Battalions and is in the process of filling up BB and WB vacancies sooner than later.
As mentioned above earlier, administering Jammu and Kashmir is a delicate balancing act and it goes to the credit of governments both at the Centre and in the UT that while ensuring the security of the people is paramount, given the perceived threats from the West (Pakistan) and the North (China), economic and infrastructural development has not been neglected.
As per the central home ministry’s 2020-21 annual report, the last seven years has seen Prime Minister Narendra Modi committing to provide a development package of over Rs.80,000 crores.