Bengaluru, May 3: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said the Central government will soon be developing a national database to monitor hawala transactions and terrorist funding, among other terrorist activities.
“The Union Government will soon be developing a national database to monitor hawala transactions, terrorist funding, counterfeit currency, narcotics, bomb threats, illegal arms smuggling and other terrorist activities,” he said, after inaugurating the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) here. Shah said the government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has had a zero tolerance policy against terrorism from the very first day.
The Home Minister said, “Security requirements today have changed significantly as compared to the earlier security challenges in terms of data, scope and complexity. Therefore, there is a need for legal and security agencies to have automated, secure and immediate access to information obtained from reliable sources.”
The government has entrusted the task of developing and operating a state-of-the-art and innovative information technology platform for accessing information from the data collection organisations to NATGRID, he added. Intelligence and legal agencies should now be able to make full use of them with the barriers to critical data being removed, said the Union Minister.
He said with the help of data analytics and information technology, there should be a paradigm shift in the current way of working of agencies. Shah expressed hope that NATGRID will fulfill the responsibility of linking various sources of data. He said NATGRID should have an in-built mechanism for continuous upgradation.
“There should be a study group in NATGRID to create a database of modus operandi of various crimes committed within the country,” he added. The Home Minister said that C-DAC is implementing NATGRID in line with Modi’s vision of a self-reliant India. He said for quick and effective analysis information should not be kept in silos, as it does not result in the analysis of information and getting it properly done in time. The Home Minister said that for analysis of information, it was important that Accessible, Affordable, Available, Accountable and Actionable points are kept in mind. Shah said the Police Technology Mission announced by Modi in the Director Generals of Police Conference will start soon.
The Home Minister congratulated NATGRID employees for their achievements and also encouraged them to step up their efforts to take NATGRID to the next level. He expressed hope that NATGRID will build a strong foundation for intelligence departments and provide them with state-of-the-art tools in the fight against terrorist organisations and their supporters. Shah requested user agencies to exercise caution and discretion in using this system, which should be used only for the correct purposes.
“They should also ensure that as much as possible, data from the system is used to improve their efficiency,” he said. He stressed that privacy and security of data is a very serious matter and assured that necessary protocols have been put in place to ensure that there is no unauthorized access to the personal data of any citizen through this system at any point of time.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, Union Minister of State for Home Nishith Pramanik and the Union Home Secretary were also present at the inauguration ceremony. The NATGRID CEO informed that the services of NATGRID solution will be available to 11 central agencies and police of all states and union territories. It will link user agencies with data holders, giving them access to real-time information needed for intelligence services and investigations. C-DAC Pune has been roped in as Technology Partner and IIT, Bhilai as Plan Management Consultant for the development of NATGRID solution. UNI
Centre to develop national database to monitor terrorist activities: Amit Shah
