New Delhi: While India is soon expected to launch National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID)—a database to facilitate counter-terrorism, technology experts said convergence and synergy among different agencies will help improve the scope of the intelligence framework.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is soon expected to launch the National Intelligence Grid or NATGRID in a bid to fortify India's counter-terror capabilities, sources said, adding that the plans to initiate the state-of-the-art technology was conceived after the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008.
Talking to ETV Bharat Senior Correspondent Gautam Debroy in New Delhi, Golok Kumar Simli, Chief Technology Officer of Passport Seva, Ministry of External Affairs said developing digital ethics is essential in building a better intelligence framework.
As per initial plans, 10 user agencies and 21 service providers will be linked to NATGRID and later 950 additional organizations will be connected to the network. In the future over 1,000 organizations will be further integrated into the National Intelligence Grid. Significant security agencies in the country will also be authorized to access the NATGRID database.
Central Bureau of Investigation, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Central Board of Direct Taxes (for Income Tax Department), Cabinet Secretariat, Intelligence Bureau, Directorate General of GST Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau, Financial Intelligence Unit and the National Investigation Agency may be granted access to NATGRID.
With more than 28 years of experience in ICT, Simli suggested that once a good data governance model and data strategy are in place, the workforce can be developed accordingly.
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In the year 2019, at least 1.20 crore passport-related services in India and 10.70 lakh services outside India were delivered. Due to the pandemic, in the year 2020, approximately 58.44 lakh passport-related services in India and around 9.82 lakh services abroad were only delivered, Simli added.
Recently, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had termed NATGRID as a "seamless and secure database for information on terrorists, economic crimes, and similar incidents".
Read: 'NATGRID' is a good idea but misuse should be prevented: Cyber Expert
