The SHAANTI Act, 2025, short for Strategic Harmonisation and Action for National Tranquillity Initiative, is designed to provide a comprehensive legal framework for preventing and responding to threats that disrupt public order, social cohesion, and internal security. Unlike earlier laws that addressed specific dimensions such as terrorism, unlawful activities, or emergency powers, the SHAANTI Act adopts a more integrated and anticipatory approach.
At its core, the Act aims to improve early threat detection, inter-agency coordination, and rapid response capabilities, particularly in situations involving mass unrest, coordinated disinformation campaigns, communal tensions, and hybrid threats that blend physical and digital elements.
Key Objectives of the Act
One of the primary objectives of the SHAANTI Act is to move India’s internal security posture from a reactive to a preventive and intelligence-led model. The legislation empowers authorities to identify emerging risks before they escalate into large-scale disturbances. This includes monitoring patterns of social mobilization, misinformation spread, and coordinated disruptions to essential services.
Another key objective is institutional coordination. The Act seeks to streamline collaboration between central agencies, state governments, local administration, and law enforcement bodies. By creating standardized protocols and shared information systems, the government aims to reduce fragmentation and delays that often hamper crisis response.
The Act also emphasizes continuity of governance and essential services, ensuring that disruptions whether caused by unrest, cyber incidents, or coordinated protests do not paralyze public infrastructure, transport, healthcare, or communication networks.
A major point of discussion around the SHAANTI Act relates to its impact on Centre–State relations. Public order and police are constitutionally state subjects, and the expanded role of central authorities under the Act has raised concerns among some states regarding potential overreach.
To address this, the legislation includes provisions for consultative mechanisms, requiring coordination with state governments in most operational decisions. However, critics argue that the discretionary powers retained by the Centre during “national tranquillity threats” remain broadly defined and could be contested in practice.
Key Provisions and Powers
The SHAANTI Act introduces provisions that allow designated authorities to:
• Declare specific zones as “tranquillity-sensitive areas” based on credible intelligence inputs
• Initiate preventive measures, including temporary restrictions on assemblies or digital communication, subject to defined thresholds
• Establish joint command structures for coordinated operations across agencies
• Mandate information sharing between digital platforms, telecom service providers, and government agencies under specified conditions
Importantly, the Act formalizes the use of technology-driven tools such as real-time data analytics, social media monitoring, and predictive risk assessments to support decision-making.
Conclusion
The SHAANTI Act, 2025 is not merely another security law, it is a structural attempt to redefine how India anticipates, manages, and mitigates internal disruptions. As its implementation unfolds, sustained dialogue between governments, institutions, civil society, and the judiciary will be essential to ensure that the pursuit of tranquillity does not come at the cost of constitutional values.