National Intelligence Grid and Crime Control

Reference:

Due to increasing criminal incidents in Delhi, district police officers have been given the authority to use the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) to curb crime.

About National Intelligence Grid

• Introduction: NATGRID is an intelligence database compiled by the Ministry of Home Affairs which includes more than 24 information data sets.
  • This database includes information such as immigration records, banking details, travel history and phone data etc., as well as information necessary to help agencies identify and monitor suspects.
  • This information is collected and shared by more than 21 agencies of the Center and the states.
• Established: Operational since 2009
  • It was set up in 2008 after the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.
• Office: Headquarters located in New Delhi while data collection office located in Bengaluru.
• Access to data: NATGRID services are available to 11 central agencies and police of all states and union territories.
  • Crime Branch and Special Cell in Delhi Police use NATGRID to solve complex cases.
  • However, local police take help of CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System) to investigate cases in their jurisdiction.
    • Currently CCTNS connects all police stations across the country.
    • It is mandatory for all state police to register First Information Report (FIR) in CCTNS.

Contribution in crime control

• A secure centralized database for sensitive information
• Acting as a link between various intelligence and investigation agencies
• Quick and in-depth problem-solving through state-of-the-art technologies
• Protection of human rights by saving innocent people
• Simultaneous intelligence monitoring of suspicious persons, institutions and events
• Centralization of intelligence for the country's border security (water, sky, land)

Major criticisms

• Risk of leakage of private and confidential information
• Local police of the state does not have permission to use it
• Misuse of digital database by the government
• Challenge of cyber-attacks on sensitive data
•  Possibility of intelligence leak to foreign intelligence agencies or enemy countries

Way forward:

• To control and mitigate the increasing criminal and terrorist incidents in India, this system needs to be made more advanced so that an incident like 26/11 Mumbai attack does not happen again. 
• There is a need for various agencies in the administration to adopt a comprehensive approach in the interest of the country by removing mutual tension and conflict.
• In other sensitive states like Delhi, district level officers should also be allowed to use this system.
• There is a need to make the infrastructure system more robust for data privacy and protection from cyber-attacks.