The non-traditional conceptions— both human security and global security—focus on changing the nature of security threats. Non-traditional conceptions such as human security and global security redefine security concerns beyond traditional military threats. They emphasize contemporary challenges like terrorism, poverty, migration, refugees, and health epidemics, reflecting a shift towards safeguarding individuals, communities, and global stability in an interconnected world.

Terrorism 

Define: Terrorism refers to political violence that targets civilians deliberately and indiscriminately. International terrorism involves citizens or territory of more than one country. Terrorist groups seek to change a political context or condition that they do not like by force or threat of force.

• Ex: The classic cases of terrorism involve hijacking planes or planting bombs in trains, cafes, markets, and other crowded places.
• Types of Human Rights:  
• • The first type is political rights such as freedom of speech and assembly.
  • The second type is economic and social rights.
  • The third type is the rights of colonized people or ethnic and indigenous minorities.

Poverty

Global poverty is another source of insecurity. High per capita income and low population growth make rich states or rich social groups get richer, whereas low incomes and high population growth reinforce each other to make poor states and poor groups get poorer. 

• Globally, this disparity contributes to gap between the Northern and Southern countries of the world.

Displacement of Migrants and Refugee

Migrants vs Refugees: International law and norms make a distinction between migrants (those who voluntarily leave their home countries) and refugees (those who flee from war, natural disaster, or political persecution).

• State Obligations Towards Migrants and Refugees: States are generally supposed to accept refugees, but they do not have to accept migrants. 
  • While refugees leave their country of origin, people who have fled their homes but remain within national borders are called ‘internally displaced people’. (Refer to Figure 14.3)

• Kashmiri Pandits who fled the violence in the Kashmir Valley in the early 1990s are an example of an internally displaced community.

Health Epidemics

• Spread of Infectious Diseases: Health epidemics such as HIV-AIDS, bird flu, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) have rapidly spread across countries through migration, business, tourism, and military operations.
• Emerging Threats and Drug Resistance: Other new and poorly understood diseases such as ebola virus, hantavirus, and hepatitis C have emerged, while old diseases like tuberculosis, malaria, dengue fever, and cholera have mutated into drug-resistant forms that are difficult to treat.

Cooperative security

• Cooperation as Key: Dealing with many non-traditional threats to security requires cooperation rather than military confrontation.
• Tailoring Cooperation: Cooperation may be bilateral (i.e. between any two countries), regional, continental, or global. 
  • It would all depend on the nature of threat, willingness, and ability of countries to respond.
• Broader Security Team: Cooperative security may also involve a variety of other players, both international and national—international organizations (UN, World Health Organisation, World Bank, IMF, etc.), nongovernmental organizations (Amnesty International, Red Cross, private foundations and charities, churches and religious organizations, trade unions, associations, social and development organizations), businesses and corporations, and great personalities (e.g. Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela).
• Force as a Last Resort: Cooperative security may involve the use of force as a last resort. 
  • The international community may have to sanction use of force to deal with governments that kill their people or ignore the misery of their populations who are devastated by poverty, disease, and catastrophe.
• Mitigating Non-Traditional Threats: It may have to agree to use violence against international terrorists and those who harbour them.
  • Non-traditional security is much better when use of force is sanctioned and applied collectively by the international community rather than when an individual country decides to use force on its own.

India’s Security Strategy

India has faced traditional (military) and non-traditional threats to its security that have emerged from within as well as outside its borders. Its security strategy has four broad components.

• Strengthening Military Capabilities: The first component was strengthening its military capabilities because India has been involved in conflicts with its neighbours — Pakistan in 1947–48, 1965, 1971, and 1999; and China in 1962.
• Upholding International Norms and Institutions: The second component of India’s security strategy has been to strengthen international norms and international institutions to protect its security interests.
• Addressing Internal Security Challenges: The third component of Indian security strategy is geared towards meeting security challenges within the country.
• Economic Development: Finally, there has been an attempt in India to develop its economy in a way that a vast mass of citizens are lifted out of poverty and misery and huge economic inequalities are not allowed to exist. 
  • The attempt has not quite succeeded; we are still a very poor and unequal country.

Conclusion

The changing security environment, marked by unconventional challenges such as terrorism, poverty, displacement, and health epidemics, requires a shift in focus toward collaborative security. This strategy focuses on collective action rather than unilateral force by utilizing international organizations, NGOs, and global partnerships. India’s comprehensive security approach highlights significance of preparedness of armed forces, adherence to global standards, maintaining internal peace, and advancement in economic growth. Dealing with these challenges together guarantees a stronger global community, protecting national interests and global stability in an interconnected world.

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