For the first time, Union home minister Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting on Saturday to specifically address the countermeasures to IS threats. The ministry had held one such meet earlier.

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It was the steady penetration and growing acts of terrorism by the IS in countries other than their main areas of influence, like the latest suicide attacks in Jakarta, that made the Indian security establishment to put in their own arrangements in place to thwart any such possible strikes.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh took a day-long meeting with intelligence and investigative agencies and top police officials of 13 states and the Union Territory of Delhi to discuss the IS threat and possible countermeasures.

Among the states that attended the meeting were Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra.A growing number of youths from these states have been found hooked to online social media forums that brainwash and radicalise and eventually facilitate their recruitment as IS cadres.

The Centre has created a dedicated cyber cell to monitor the movement of such youths online. Besides, a number of central intelligence agencies and state police departments are also keeping a tab on such youths.

Timely intervention has saved many youths from falling into the vicious trap of the IS. In a recent case, four radicalised youths were caught in Hyderabad in the nick of time when they were about to board a flight.

During the day-long interaction, Rajnath Singh sought and discussed the best possible law-enforcement response, appropriate welfare schemes for minorities, social media strategies, and capacity-building of state police organisations, especially in the area of Information Technology, A K Dhatwalia, Union home ministry spokesperson, said.

Central agencies and a number of states gave their presentations on the action taken so far and what could be the future response to tackle the menace of IS.

A Union home ministry official said that Singh was hopeful that India's traditional and family values will triumph over this evil. The traction that IS has got in India is extremely limited and almost insignificant relative to other countries, but there is a need to keep vigil on all fronts, he said.

The home minister also lauded the efforts of a large number of Muslim organisations in coming out against both the IS and other forms of terrorism.India held a meeting on Saturday to specifically address the countermeasures to IS threats.

It was the steady penetration and growing acts of terrorism by the IS in countries other than their main areas of influence, like the latest suicide attacks in Jakarta, that made the Indian security establishment to put in their own arrangements in place to thwart any such possible strikes.

Union home minister Rajnath Singh took a day-long meeting with intelligence and investigative agencies and top police officials of 13 states and the Union Territory of Delhi to discuss the IS threat and possible countermeasures.

Among the states that attended the meeting were Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Jammu & Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Maharashtra.

A growing number of youths from these states have been found hooked to online social media forums that brainwash and radicalise and eventually facilitate their recruitment as IS cadres.

The Centre has created a dedicated cyber cell to monitor the movement of such youths online. Besides, a number of central intelligence agencies and state police departments are also keeping a tab on such youths.

Timely intervention has saved many youths from falling into the vicious trap of the IS. In a recent case, four radicalised youths were caught in Hyderabad in the nick of time when they were about to board a flight.

During the day-long interaction, Rajnath Singh sought and discussed the best possible law-enforcement response, appropriate welfare schemes for minorities, social media strategies, and capacity-building of state police organisations, especially in the area of Information Technology, A K Dhatwalia, Union home ministry spokesperson, said.

Central agencies and a number of states gave their presentations on the action taken so far and what could be the future response to tackle the menace of IS.

A Union home ministry official said that Singh was hopeful that India's traditional and family values will triumph over this evil. The traction that IS has got in India is extremely limited and almost insignificant relative to other countries, but there is a need to keep vigil on all fronts, he said.

The home minister also lauded the efforts of a large number of Muslim organisations in coming out against both the IS and other forms of terrorism.