Network for intel agencies to share info will go live next year

News:Minister of State for Home Affairs has informed the Lok Sabha that National Intelligence Grid(NATGRID) project will be operational by December 31,2020.

Facts:

About National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID):

• NATGRID project was initially started in 2009.It is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information and putting them together on one platform.
• The project is a counter terrorism measure that will enable multiple security and intelligence agencies to access a database related to immigration entry and exit, banking and telephone details among others from a common platform.
• The combined data from NATGRID will be made available to 10 Central Intelligence Agencies on a secured platform.

Importance of NATGRID:

• The necessity for the NATGRID came after Mumbai terror attack in 2009 that exposed the deficiency that security agencies have no mechanism to look for vital information in real-time.
• Hence,NATGRID will tackle the problem of coordination mechanism regarding data transfer from one agency to another agency.

Criticism of NATGRID:

• NATGRID faces opposition on charges of possible violations of privacy and leakage of confidential personal information.
• It’s efficacy in preventing terror has also been questioned given that no state agency or police force has access to its database thus reducing chances of immediate, effective action.