On August 5, 2025, Union home minister Amit Shah etched his name in India’s political history by becoming the longest-serving Home Minister, completing 2,258 days in office and surpassing LK Advani’s record. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated him, calling this milestone “just the beginning,” the occasion is more than a number. It symbolises a tenure defined by sweeping changes in India’s internal security architecture, from the icy heights of Ladakh to the dense forests of Bastar, from the hills of the Northeast to the cyber frontlines of the digital age.
When Shah assumed charge in June 2019, the nation faced deep and long-standing challenges. Jammu & Kashmir remained mired in political uncertainty and militant violence. Maoist insurgency still plagued large parts of central India. The Northeast grappled with armed insurgencies and unresolved border disputes. Cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, illegal migration and inadequate disaster preparedness further tested the limits of India’s security apparatus.
His most defining moment came just 70 days into his tenure with the abrogation of Article 370, fulfilling a seven-decade-old aspiration of “One Flag, One Constitution, One Prime Minister.” Jammu & Kashmir was fully integrated into India’s constitutional framework, reorganised into two union territories, and for the first time in decades peace began to replace the politics of perpetual strife. In the years since, the impact has been clear. Violent incidents in the Valley have dropped by 86 per cent, stone-pelting has ended and terrorist activities have been met with the full force of law.
This zero-tolerance approach to terrorism extended beyond Kashmir. Amendments to the NIA and UAPA Acts empowered agencies to directly target terror financing and designate individuals as terrorists, dismantling networks like the Popular Front of India and crippling their organisational backbones. In the Northeast, 12 peace accords in six years ended decades-old insurgencies, reduced AFSPA’s footprint and enabled over 10,500 insurgents to surrender arms.
Equally decisive has been the campaign against Maoist insurgency. Under Shah’s leadership, incidents of Naxal violence have fallen sharply, major leaders have been neutralised and thousands have surrendered. His declared goal of eradicating Naxalism by March 2026 remains on track.
Shah’s vision of security extends into domains where battles are fought without bullets. In the realm of cybercrime, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) has emerged as a national nerve centre, blocking fraudulent communications, dismantling online extortion rackets and preventing financial losses amounting to thousands of crores. His war on narcotics has been equally unrelenting, seizing drugs worth over Rs 1.1 lakh crore, breaking international trafficking networks and forging anti-drug cooperation with 46 countries.
Disaster management too has shifted from reactive relief to proactive preparedness. State disaster funds have been substantially increased, geo-based early warning systems rolled out and international humanitarian missions executed with speed, from earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria to vaccine diplomacy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Losses from cyclones have been cut by an estimated 98 per cent, a testament to the effectiveness of early alerts and integrated response systems.
Legislatively, his tenure has seen the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, granting refuge to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries, and the introduction of three new criminal laws that overhaul India’s justice delivery system. These reforms prioritise crimes against women and children, enable e-FIRs, mandate forensic evidence in serious cases and repeal the sedition law, ensuring justice is both swifter and fairer.
Amit Shah’s record is not merely one of longevity. It is also a rare blend of political continuity and administrative resolve to achieve results. He has redefined the contours of India’s internal security, bringing peace to conflict zones, dismantling entrenched threats and preparing the nation for emerging challenges in an interconnected world.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
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