India to fence entire 1,643-kilometre stretch of border with Myanmar: Home Minister

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The primary aim is to enhance surveillance capabilities and establish a patrol track along the border for effective monitoring.
- The announcement aligns with the government’s dedication to fortify national borders.

Need for border fencing
- Absence of natural barriers: Except for the Himalayas India’s borders are are man-made which enhances their vulnerabilities.
- Diplomatic issues
  - India’s border with Nepal and Bhutan are open (i.e., people can move across the borders without any visa restrictions).
  - Free Movement Regime (FMR) between India and Myanmar allows people living on either side of the border to travel up to 16 km inside each other's country without a visa.
- Porous borders also persist across Pakistan and Bangladesh borders,
- Tackling cross-border threats such as cross border terrorism, illegal migration, smuggling and trafficking.

Issues in border fencing
- Delays in the acquisition of land as land is a state subject. Also, locals fear loss of portions of their land.
- Rugged terrain (such as marshy land, riverine borders, high mountains) and extreme climatic conditions (like in Siachen Glacier).
- Some of India’s borders with its neighbours are disputed and therefore are not demarcated.
- High cost of construction and maintenance.