NATGRID: Planned After 26/11 Attack, PM Modi To Soon Launch This Weapon Against Terrorism

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans to launch the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) soon to provide “cutting-edge technology to enhance India’s counter-terror capabilities,” sources said.

The ambitious electronic database appears to be undergoing final “synchronisation and testing” in order to go live without hiccups.

The ambitious project was proposed in the aftermath of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.

NATGRID may finally see the light of day, indicated Union Home Minister Amit Shah. It was designed as a unified and secure database for information on terrorists, economic crimes, and other similar incidents.

On September 4, Shah stated at the 51st Foundation Day of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), “The Prime Minister would have dedicated NATGRID to the country if Corona (COVID-19) had not been present. I am optimistic that the Prime Minister will dedicate NATGRID to the country in the near future.”

WHAT IS NATGRID

The NATGRID, envisioned as a robust mechanism for tracking suspects, can aid in the prevention of terrorist attacks by providing real-time data and access to classified information such as immigration, banking, individual taxpayers, and air and train travels.

The NATGRID will be connected to 10 user agencies and 21 service providers in the first phase, 950 organisations in the second stage, and 1,000 organisations in subsequent years.

Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), and Directorate General of Censorship (DGCC) are the ten agencies that will have real-time access to NATGRID data (NCB).

The 26/11 terrorist attack in Mumbai in 2008 exposed the deficiency that security agencies lacked a mechanism to search for vital information in real-time.

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) approved the Rs 3,400-crore NATGRID project in 2010.