For Prelims: Line of Actual Control (LAC), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Directed-Energy Weapons (DEWs), Asymmetric Warfare, Force involved, Length of LAC, New patrolling mantra, Key technology mentioned
For Mains: Asymmetric warfare, Directed-energy weapons (DEWs), Drone warfare, Technological disparity, Proactive diplomacy
Source:
Indian Express
5 facts for one-day exams
SSC, railway, police and teaching exams ask direct questions like these.
- The ITBP guards the India-China border along the LAC.
- The LAC between India and China is 4,057 km long.
- Shatrujeet Kapur was the outgoing chief of the ITBP.
- DRDO has developed directed-energy weapons (DEWs) to counter drones.
- After 2014, India adopted proactive diplomacy with strong ground posturing on the LAC.
Why in the news?
The outgoing ITBP chief warned that China cannot be confronted with traditional methods as drone warfare has changed the nature of conflict. India must rapidly develop drone and anti-drone capability, including directed-energy weapons, to counter a technologically superior adversary along the 4,057 km Line of Actual Control.
Summary
- The ITBP chief highlighted the growing technological disparity between India and China along the LAC, stressing the need for drone and anti-drone systems.
- India's new border patrolling policy after 2014 emphasises 'proactive diplomacy together with strong ground posturing', replacing earlier disengagement and withdrawal.
- The DRDO has developed high-power laser-based directed-energy weapons (DEWs) capable of tracking and destroying individual drones and drone swarms.
Highlights
ITBP Chief's Warning
Outgoing ITBP chief Shatrujeet Kapur warned that China cannot be confronted using traditional methods due to the arrival of drone warfare.
Shift in Border Policy
After 2014, India adopted 'proactive diplomacy with strong ground posturing', replacing the earlier disengagement and withdrawal approach.
Directed-Energy Weapons
DRDO has developed high-power laser-based DEWs that can track and destroy individual drones and drone swarms.
Background
The India-China border dispute along the 4,057 km Line of Actual Control (LAC) is over 65 years old. During the UPA regime (2010-2013), over 600 'transgressions' by the Chinese army were reported. After the 2014 standoff, the Modi government shifted from disengagement and withdrawal to a policy of proactive diplomacy combined with strong ground posturing, as seen during the 2017 Doklam face-off.
Key Analysis and Impact
The ITBP chief's warning highlights a critical technological gap. China has focused on developing asymmetric capabilities: ground-based lasers to blind US spy satellites, and sea-skimming supersonic missiles to counter the US Navy. India must similarly prioritise drone and anti-drone systems. The DRDO's directed-energy weapons (DEWs) represent a step in this direction. The Ukraine-Russia and US-Iran conflicts show that a weaker nation can counter a stronger adversary through technological capability rather than numerical parity.
Way Forward
India needs to accelerate indigenous development of drone and anti-drone technologies, including swarming and directed-energy systems. Lessons from China's approach—focusing on capability over parity—must be integrated into defence strategy. The ITBP and other border forces will require rapid modernisation to match evolving threats along the LAC.
Background GK
Textbook concepts you need to understand this news
- Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- The demarcation line separating Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory in the India-China border region. It is not a legally recognised border but a de facto boundary.
- Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
- A central armed police force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, primarily deployed for guarding the India-China border along the LAC.
- Directed-Energy Weapons (DEWs)
- Weapons that emit highly focused energy, including lasers, microwaves, and particle beams, to damage or destroy enemy targets such as drones, missiles, or satellites.
- Asymmetric Warfare
- Warfare between belligerents whose relative military power differs significantly. A weaker side uses unconventional strategies and technologies to exploit the stronger side's vulnerabilities.
Facts to remember
Tap a card to see the answer. Try to recall it first.
How exams will ask this
- Data: 4,057 km (length of India-China LAC)
- Nodal Body: Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
Don't make this mistake!
Examiners may confuse 'ITBP' (guards India-China border) with 'SSB' (guards India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders) or 'BSF' (guards India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders). Also, the shift in policy from 'disengagement' to 'proactive diplomacy with strong ground posturing' may be tested as a chronological sequence.
Write these in mains answers
- Asymmetric warfare, Directed-energy weapons (DEWs), Drone warfare, Technological disparity, Proactive diplomacy
Stuck? Get it in one tap
The ITBP chief warned that China cannot be fought with old methods because drones have changed how wars are fought. India must quickly develop its own drones and anti-drone systems. The DRDO has made laser weapons that can shoot down drones. India should learn from China, which focused on building special weapons to counter the US instead of trying to match its numbers.
- The ITBP guards the India-China border along the LAC.
- The LAC between India and China is 4,057 km long.
- Shatrujeet Kapur was the outgoing chief of the ITBP.
- DRDO has developed directed-energy weapons (DEWs) to counter drones.
- After 2014, India adopted proactive diplomacy with strong ground posturing on the LAC.
- Security: Border management and internal security
- International Relations: India-China border dispute
Related concepts: Line of Actual Control (LAC), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Directed-Energy Weapons (DEWs), Asymmetric Warfare
Practice questions
Pick an answer, then read the explanation.
- Q1Easy
Which paramilitary force is primarily responsible for guarding the India-China border along the Line of Actual Control?
Explanation: The ITBP is deployed along the India-China border. BSF guards India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders, SSB guards India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders, and CRPF is primarily for internal security and counter-insurgency.
- Q2Hard
Consider the following statements regarding India's border policy along the LAC:
- 1.After 2014, India shifted to a policy of 'proactive diplomacy together with strong ground posturing'.
- 2.The Doklam face-off in 2017 was the first instance where India resorted to disengagement and withdrawal.
- 3.The ITBP chief warned that China can be confronted using traditional methods of warfare.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: the new mantra after 2014 is 'proactive diplomacy together with strong ground posturing'. Statement 2 is wrong: the Doklam face-off involved strong ground posturing, not disengagement and withdrawal. Statement 3 is wrong: the ITBP chief warned that China cannot be confronted using traditional methods due to drone warfare.
- Q3Medium
What is the total length of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China?
Explanation: The Line of Actual Control between India and China is approximately 4,057 km long. The other options are incorrect.
- Q4Medium
What is the primary lesson that the ITBP chief suggested India should learn from China's military modernisation strategy?
Explanation: China focused on developing asymmetric capabilities like ground-based lasers to blind US satellites and sea-skimming missiles, rather than matching US numbers. The ITBP chief urged India to adopt a similar approach, prioritising drone and anti-drone capability over numerical parity.
Frequently asked questions
1. Who is the outgoing chief of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police?
Shatrujeet Kapur is the outgoing chief of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
2. What is the total length of the Line of Actual Control between India and China?
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China is approximately 4,057 km long.
3. What new technology has the DRDO developed to counter drones?
The DRDO has developed high-power laser-based directed-energy weapons (DEWs) that can track and destroy individual drones as well as drone swarms.
4. What was the shift in India's border patrolling policy after 2014?
After 2014, India adopted the policy of 'proactive diplomacy together with strong ground posturing', replacing the earlier practice of disengagement and withdrawal during face-offs.
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- Original7 November 2026 · Read story
