Tech-Focused Traffic Policing in India

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands visited Bengaluru Traffic Police’s Traffic Management Centre (TMC), where he spoke about the Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Transformation Management (ASTraM) system.

What is Tech-focused traffic policing?

• Tech-focused traffic policing – It refers to the use of advanced technologies—such as AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and automated surveillance—to monitor road conditions, enforce traffic laws, and manage traffic flow in real-time.
• It is often termed as "Intelligent Traffic Management Systems" (ITMS), moves away from manual enforcement towards data-driven, automated, and proactive solutions that reduce the need for physical police presence on the road.

What is ASTraM and how does it work?

• ASTraM – It is a smart traffic engine which provides holistic insights into the road traffic scenario for Bengaluru city.
• Introduction – The Bengaluru traffic police have introduced ASTraM in 2024 to enhance traffic management.
• Purpose – To provide situational awareness to take data-driven decisions for effective traffic management.
• This includes congestion alerts, incident reporting using BOT (mobile application), special event management, and dashboard analytics.
• Development – It was developed in collaboration with the Dutch company Arcadis, pools data from CCTV footage and open data sources to monitor and predict trends in real-time across Bengaluru’s congested roadways.
• Working – It identifies congested areas, batches them, and then alerts relevant officers at every 15 minutes interval.
• By capturing both recurring and non-recurring congestion points, this application provides insights that can be used for predictive traffic policing and incident reporting.
• Contrast to other systems – Google Maps and other prominent mapping applications have been providing users with real-time traffic congestion data for years.
• They also report on traffic incidents and affected regions, but these systems do not provide predictive services.
• Integration
  • e-attendance system – Alerts are sent to the junction jockeys and sector officers, apart from various stakeholders for better traffic planning and management.
  • Dashboard analytics – It intends to provide actionable intelligence regarding traffic conditions, road safety, and enforcement.

What are the various technologies and initiatives used across the country?

• Delhi – Used AI cameras and Automatic Number Plate Readers (ANPR) to enforce bans on old vehicles to reduce air pollution.
• Greater Chennai Traffic Police – It uses an integrated traffic regulation system (ITRS) that involves AI and live feeds for efficient traffic management, allowing them to track down repeat offenders.
• AI Camera Surveillance – Kerala has implemented AI cameras to detect violations like not wearing helmets, triple riding, and speeding, aimed at reducing accidents.

• Smart Traffic Management – Bengaluru uses the Adaptive Traffic Control System (BATCS) to monitor 165+ intersections, adjusting signals based on real-time traffic flow.
• ATMS on Expressways – The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (Dwarka section) utilizes advanced AI to monitor traffic, detecting infractions in real-time to enhance safety.
• Automated Enforcement – Cities are adopting automated challan systems via SMS, reducing manual intervention and increasing transparency.
• Predictive AI – Projects like iRASTE (Intelligent Solutions for Road Safety through Technology and Engineering) use AI to predict accidents and analyze high-risk areas.
• Global Perspectives
  • Western countries (EU, North America) – Predictive policing and surveillance often considered undesirable; some US cities have banned it.
  • Asia & Latin America – The greater acceptance and deployment of such systems.

What are the advantages of tech-focused traffic policing?

• Consolidated Traffic Insights – Intelligent traffic policing systems allow the authorities to quickly process data across many media formats (cameras, sensors, apps, reports).
• This gives authorities a consolidated picture of which areas require immediate intervention and urgent traffic policing solutions.
• Predictive Preparedness – The police can also build on this data to prepare for future events like processions, unrest, and traffic chokeholds.
• More effective than existing app – This is far more effective than relying on existing app-based GPS systems, or waiting for users to telephone or post their complaints on social media before taking action.
• Accident Prevention – Intelligent traffic policing systems have more localised data to work with, they can potentially prevent accidents that occur due to a mixture of Google Maps and human errors.
• For instance, take past incidents where Google Maps misdirected drivers onto unsafe bridges, leading to fatalities.
• Surveillance & Enforcement – Surveillance/intelligence policing can help the authorities identify rule violators in risky areas, without officers having to be physically present at the scene.

What are the threats of predictive traffic policing?

• Privacy Risks – AI surveillance techniques and live data analysis can caution against privacy risks that arise from increased surveillance.
• Errors in AI Traffic Systems – Intelligence-based systems can make mistakes in detecting violations or predicting congestion.
• Such errors may cause unfair penalties or poor traffic management.

What lies ahead?

• Cybersecurity Safeguards – As more citizen data is collected for traffic policing, greater cybersecurity safeguards and investments are required to secure sensitive and personally identifiable information.
• Balancing Benefits & Risks – AI surveillance can improve road safety and traffic management, but they carry inherent risks - data management, privacy, and cybersecurity challenges.

References

1. The Hindu | Predictive policing & traffic management tools
2. The Hindu | Bengaluru traffic police launch ASTraM initiative
3. India AI | AI and traffic control in India

Prahaar – India’s First Comprehensive Counter-Terror Doctrine

Why in News?

Recently, India has unveiled its first-ever comprehensive counter-terrorism doctrine titled ‘Prahaar’, marking a significant evolution in the country’s security architecture.

What is the rationale behind the policy?

• Persistent Cross-Border Terrorism
  • Continued threats from hostile neighbours allegedly using terrorism as an instrument of state policy.
  • Presence of jihadi outfits and global terror networks such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda.
• Evolving Nature of Terrorism
  • Use of modern technologies including drones, encrypted messaging apps, dark web, and cryptocurrency.
  • Increasing nexus between terrorist organisations and organised criminal networks.
• Need for Institutional Coordination
  • Multiplicity of agencies dealing with terrorism necessitated a unified doctrine.
  • Requirement for synergy among central, state, and district-level authorities.

What are the key features of ‘prahaar’ doctrine?

‘Prahaar’ is an acronym representing seven pillars of India’s counter-terror strategy

• Prevention
  • Focus on intelligence-based preventive action.
  • Early detection of radicalisation trends.
  • Strengthening surveillance and monitoring mechanisms.
• Response
  • Swift and proportionate retaliation to terror attacks.
  • Graded police response depending on the level of radicalisation.
  • Uniform anti-terror structures and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across jurisdictions.
• Aggregation of Capacities
  • Whole-of-government approach integrating intelligence, law enforcement, and security agencies.
  • Modernisation of LEAs with advanced tools, technology, and weaponry.
  • Enhanced collaboration in intelligence collection and investigation.
• Human Rights and Rule of Law
  • Legal processes ensuring safeguards and avenues of appeal for accused persons.
  • Emphasis on balancing national security with constitutional values.
• Attenuation of Enabling Conditions
  • Addressing socio-economic vulnerabilities that lead to radicalisation.
  • Education, constructive engagement, and de-radicalisation programmes.
  • Disrupting overground worker networks and recruitment pipelines.
• Alignment with International Efforts
  • Cooperation through extradition, deportation, and adherence to UN norms.
  • Global partnerships to counter misuse of ICT by terrorist groups.
  • Investments in technological cooperation and private-sector collaboration.
• Recovery
  • Whole-of-society approach for post-attack rehabilitation and resilience building.
  • Strengthening community engagement to restore normalcy.

What are the emerging threat dimensions highlighted?

• Cyber and Technological Threats
  • Use of encrypted platforms, dark web, and crypto for anonymity.
  • Proactive disruption of cyber activities of terror groups.
• Drone and Hybrid Warfare
  • Deployment of drones for cross-border smuggling of arms and narcotics.
• Criminal-Terror Nexus
  • Use of organised crime networks for logistics, financing, and recruitment.
• Transnational Collaboration
  • Foreign-based terror groups leveraging local infrastructure and terrain knowledge.

What are the significance of the policy?

• Doctrinal Clarity – Elevates counter-terrorism from an operational strategy to a formal doctrine.
• Institutional Uniformity – Standardised structures and processes across levels of governance.
• Holistic Approach – Integrates security, socio-economic, legal, and international dimensions.
• Balancing Security and Rights – Acknowledges the importance of human rights in counter-terror operations.

What are the challenges?

• Federal Coordination Issues – Policing is a State subject and hence ensuring uniform adoption may be complex.
• Technological Upgradation – Continuous investment required to match evolving cyber threats.
• Capacity Building – Need for trained manpower and specialised investigation skills at the state level.
• Preventing Misuse – Safeguards must prevent overreach and protect civil liberties.
• International Cooperation – Effective enforcement of extradition and global cyber norms requires diplomatic agility.

What lies ahead?

• The unveiling of ‘Prahaar’ marks a significant milestone in India’s internal security framework.
• By institutionalising a proactive, intelligence-driven and coordinated approach, the policy seeks to address both conventional and emerging dimensions of terrorism.
• Its success, however, will depend on effective federal cooperation, technological preparedness, safeguarding civil liberties, and sustained international collaboration.
• If implemented robustly, Prahaar could strengthen India’s resilience against the evolving threat of terrorism while upholding democratic values.

Reference

The Times of India| Prahaar

Tech-Focused Traffic Policing in India

Why in News?

Recently, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands visited Bengaluru Traffic Police’s Traffic Management Centre (TMC), where he spoke about the Actionable Intelligence for Sustainable Transformation Management (ASTraM) system.

What is Tech-focused traffic policing?

• Tech-focused traffic policing – It refers to the use of advanced technologies—such as AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), and automated surveillance—to monitor road conditions, enforce traffic laws, and manage traffic flow in real-time.
• It is often termed as "Intelligent Traffic Management Systems" (ITMS), moves away from manual enforcement towards data-driven, automated, and proactive solutions that reduce the need for physical police presence on the road.

What is ASTraM and how does it work?

• ASTraM – It is a smart traffic engine which provides holistic insights into the road traffic scenario for Bengaluru city.
• Introduction – The Bengaluru traffic police have introduced ASTraM in 2024 to enhance traffic management.
• Purpose – To provide situational awareness to take data-driven decisions for effective traffic management.
• This includes congestion alerts, incident reporting using BOT (mobile application), special event management, and dashboard analytics.
• Development – It was developed in collaboration with the Dutch company Arcadis, pools data from CCTV footage and open data sources to monitor and predict trends in real-time across Bengaluru’s congested roadways.
• Working – It identifies congested areas, batches them, and then alerts relevant officers at every 15 minutes interval.
• By capturing both recurring and non-recurring congestion points, this application provides insights that can be used for predictive traffic policing and incident reporting.
• Contrast to other systems – Google Maps and other prominent mapping applications have been providing users with real-time traffic congestion data for years.
• They also report on traffic incidents and affected regions, but these systems do not provide predictive services.
• Integration
  • e-attendance system – Alerts are sent to the junction jockeys and sector officers, apart from various stakeholders for better traffic planning and management.
  • Dashboard analytics – It intends to provide actionable intelligence regarding traffic conditions, road safety, and enforcement.

What are the various technologies and initiatives used across the country?

• Delhi – Used AI cameras and Automatic Number Plate Readers (ANPR) to enforce bans on old vehicles to reduce air pollution.
• Greater Chennai Traffic Police – It uses an integrated traffic regulation system (ITRS) that involves AI and live feeds for efficient traffic management, allowing them to track down repeat offenders.
• AI Camera Surveillance – Kerala has implemented AI cameras to detect violations like not wearing helmets, triple riding, and speeding, aimed at reducing accidents.

• Smart Traffic Management – Bengaluru uses the Adaptive Traffic Control System (BATCS) to monitor 165+ intersections, adjusting signals based on real-time traffic flow.
• ATMS on Expressways – The Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (Dwarka section) utilizes advanced AI to monitor traffic, detecting infractions in real-time to enhance safety.
• Automated Enforcement – Cities are adopting automated challan systems via SMS, reducing manual intervention and increasing transparency.
• Predictive AI – Projects like iRASTE (Intelligent Solutions for Road Safety through Technology and Engineering) use AI to predict accidents and analyze high-risk areas.
• Global Perspectives
  • Western countries (EU, North America) – Predictive policing and surveillance often considered undesirable; some US cities have banned it.
  • Asia & Latin America – The greater acceptance and deployment of such systems.

What are the advantages of tech-focused traffic policing?

• Consolidated Traffic Insights – Intelligent traffic policing systems allow the authorities to quickly process data across many media formats (cameras, sensors, apps, reports).
• This gives authorities a consolidated picture of which areas require immediate intervention and urgent traffic policing solutions.
• Predictive Preparedness – The police can also build on this data to prepare for future events like processions, unrest, and traffic chokeholds.
• More effective than existing app – This is far more effective than relying on existing app-based GPS systems, or waiting for users to telephone or post their complaints on social media before taking action.
• Accident Prevention – Intelligent traffic policing systems have more localised data to work with, they can potentially prevent accidents that occur due to a mixture of Google Maps and human errors.
• For instance, take past incidents where Google Maps misdirected drivers onto unsafe bridges, leading to fatalities.
• Surveillance & Enforcement – Surveillance/intelligence policing can help the authorities identify rule violators in risky areas, without officers having to be physically present at the scene.

What are the threats of predictive traffic policing?

• Privacy Risks – AI surveillance techniques and live data analysis can caution against privacy risks that arise from increased surveillance.
• Errors in AI Traffic Systems – Intelligence-based systems can make mistakes in detecting violations or predicting congestion.
• Such errors may cause unfair penalties or poor traffic management.

What lies ahead?

• Cybersecurity Safeguards – As more citizen data is collected for traffic policing, greater cybersecurity safeguards and investments are required to secure sensitive and personally identifiable information.
• Balancing Benefits & Risks – AI surveillance can improve road safety and traffic management, but they carry inherent risks - data management, privacy, and cybersecurity challenges.

References

1. The Hindu | Predictive policing & traffic management tools
2. The Hindu | Bengaluru traffic police launch ASTraM initiative
3. India AI | AI and traffic control in India

Chungthang–Lachen road and Taram Chu Bridge

Why in News?

Recently, the Minister of State for Defence inaugurated the Chungthang–Lachen axis and the Taram Chu Bridge, restored by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in North Sikkim under Project Swastik.

Chungthang–Lachen Road

• Connectivity – The road route connects Chungthang, in North Sikkim, to Lachen, a remote, high-altitude town near the international border.
• Strategic Linkage – Lachen connects North Sikkim’s Gurudongmar Lake (5 km south of the China Border) and the Thangu Valley.
• Restoration – It is part of post-disaster recovery due to
  • Devastating cloud bursts in May-June 2025,
  • Cyclone Remal in June 2024 and
  • The Glacial Lake Outburst Flood in October 2023.
• The BRO restored 28km of the Chungthang–Lachen road.
• Clearance - To re-establish the 28-km link, the BRO cleared 96 landslides and completed 8 kilometres of fresh formation cutting through treacherous terrain.

Taram Chu Bridge Restoration

• It is a 400-foot Bailey suspension bridge above the Taram Chu water body.
• It links Chungthang with Lachen via the Chungthang–Lachen Road.
• Operational Capacity – Designed for both civilian and military use, and strategic logistics to forward border areas.

References

1. PIB | Chungthang-Lachen Road and Taram Chu Bridge
2. DD News | Chungthang-Lachen Road and Taram Chu Bridge
3. PIB | Project Swastik

HIV Capsid as a Drug Target

Why in News?

A recent study has confirmed that the HIV capsid remains an effective drug target even when resistance develops, reaffirming the potential of drug lenacapavir and opens door for a new generation of HIV drugs.

• HIV – HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a type of RNA virus.

Viruses contain either DNA or RNA as genetic material, where DNA viruses are more stable and replicate in the nucleus, while RNA viruses mutate rapidly and evolve quickly.

• HIV attacks the body's immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
•  Once people get HIV, they have it for life. But proper medical care can control the virus.

A mutation is a permanent change in the genetic material of a cell or microorganism.

• HIV Mutation – HIV mutates rapidly while converting its RNA into DNA, creating many variants.
• Some viral parts are vital for survival and cannot change much, such as the HIV capsid protein.
• HIV Capsid – The capsid is a protective protein shell surrounding the viral RNA.

Key Findings

• First HIV Drug – In 1987, the first HIV drug, zidovudine, targeted the enzyme reverse transcriptase.
  • Resistance – The drug slowed the virus, but the virus soon became resistant.
• Target "Must-Keep" Regions – Researchers focus on essential viral components that cannot mutate without stopping the virus from functioning, effectively closing the window for resistance.
• Combination Therapy – This led to the development of combination antiretroviral therapy targeting multiple viral proteins such as reverse transcriptase, protease, and integrase.
• 1999 study – Found that the capsid forms a unique 3D shape necessary for the virus to survive.
• Mutation Defect – Drug-resistant HIV viruses had mutations in specific capsid positions in order to escape the drug, which damaged their own capsid.
• Efficacy – Most changes in the capsid protein stop the virus from infecting cells.
• Lenacapavir – Initially faced poor water solubility, which is usually a problem for medicines to circulate effectively in the body.
• Advantage – This low solubility later became an advantage, allowing it to form a slow-release reservoir under the skin and work for six months with a single injection.

Lenacapavir is the world’s first capsid-based HIV inhibitor approved in 2025 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

• Lenacapavir Effect – Patients treated with lenacapavir showed small mutations in the virus’s capsid protein that diminished the drug’s effect.
• Monotherapy Resistance – Resistance mainly developed when lenacapavir was used alone. When used with other active HIV drugs (combination therapy), the virus remained well controlled.
• High Efficacy – Showed 100% effectiveness in preventing HIV infection in high-risk individuals.
• Result – Lenacapavir in combination therapy made the virus weaker, and the resistant viruses multiplied at only 20–30% of their normal rate.
• But it is not a cure, and is considered close to an HIV vaccine in preventive potential.

Reference

TH | HIV capsid