Ministry of Home Affairs seeks to maintain peace and security within the nation. It works towards the elimination of threats to internal security including militancy, insurgency and terrorism. The objective of the Ministry of Home Affairs is to preserve, protect and promote social harmony and towards this end it ensures that the rule of law is enforced and timely justice is dispensed in the country. The Ministry provides the society an environment free from crime by upholding the principles of human rights. Ministry of Home Affairs extends manpower and financial support, guidance and expertise to the State Governments of India for the maintenance of security, peace and harmony without trampling upon the constitutional rights of the States.

The Ministry of Home Affairs discharges multifarious functions, important among them being the maintenance of Internal Security. Though in terms of Entries No. 1 and 2 of List II -`State List`- in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, `public order` and `police` are the responsibilities of States, Article 355 of the Constitution enjoins the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.

Organisation of Ministry of Home Affairs
Under the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, the Ministry of Home Affairs has the following constituent Departments:- Department of Border Management, Department of Home, Department of Internal Security, Department of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Affairs, Department of Official Language, Department of States. The Department of Border Management, deals with management of borders, including coastal borders. The Department of Internal Security, dealing with police, law and order and rehabilitation. Department of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) Affairs, deals with the constitutional provisions in respect of the State of Jammu & Kashmir and all other matters relating to the State excluding those with which the Ministry of External Affairs is concerned. Department of Home deals with the notification of assumption of office by the President and Vice President, notification of appointment of the Prime Minister and other Ministers, etc. Department of Official Languages deals with the implementation of the provisions of the Constitution relating to official languages and the provisions of the Official Languages Act, 1963. The Department of States is concerned with Centre-State relations, Inter-State relations, Union Territories and Freedom Fighters` pension.

Divisions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, indicating major areas of their responsibility, are as follows: Administration Division, Border Management Division, Coordination Division, CS Division, Disaster Management Division, Finance Division, Foreigners Division, Freedom Fighters & Rehabilitation Division, Human Rights Division, Internal Security-I Division, Internal Security-II Division, Jammu & Kashmir Division, Judicial Division, North East Division, Naxal Management Division, Police-I Division, Police-II Division, Police Modernisation Division, Policy Planning Division and the UT Division.