National Intelligence Grid will begin operating from December 31, 2020

On 20 November, 2019, it was announced in Lok Sabha that the ambitious National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) project will begin by December 31. 2020.

National Intelligence Grid

The NATGRID is a counter terrorism Programme. The grid connects databases of core security agencies of India. It utilizes technologies like Big Data to study and analyze huge amounts of data from various intelligence and enforcement agencies. It was first proposed after the Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

Functions

The network collates data from various agencies and ministries of GoI. The data includes credit card transactions, bank account details, tax details, visa, immigration records and air travel.

Implementations

NATGRID is being implemented in four phases. The first two phases were approved in 2011. However, their implementation slowed down after 2012 due to political reasons. The third and fourth phases required amendments of several laws and hence were delayed. In all, the NATGRID has never seen an effective implementation so far. Unlike NCTC and NIA, the NATGRID will simply act as a tool to the security agencies.

It also faced several oppositions in terms of privacy and leakage of confidential personal information.

Month: Current Affairs - November, 2019