National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) UPSC

National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID)

About NATGRID 

• National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) , an attached office of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), is the integrated intelligence grid which connects databases of core security agencies. It was proposed after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. 

• National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) will assist intelligence and law enforcement agencies in ensuring national and internal security, with the ultimate aim to counter terror. 

• National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) will link 10 user agencies with certain databases that would be procured from 21 organisations. 

• Database involves data related to credit and debit cards, tax, telecom, immigration, airlines and railway tickets, passports, driving licenses. 
• It will be available for various central agencies, on a case-to-case-basis, including Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing, Department of Revenue Intelligence etc. 

• Recently, MHA announced that physical infrastructure of National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) Project will go live by 31st December 2020. 

Why National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is needed? 

• Communicate or gather information: India has around a dozen agencies tasked with intelligence, each having its own database that largely worked in isolation. NATGRID will help in better coordination among them. 

• For instance, it will provide relevant information on terror suspects from various data providing organisations such as banks, telecommunications companies, immigration/income tax department etc. 

• To keep all data on previous intelligence alerts: By doing so, such data could be assessed to verify similar links when a fresh intelligence alert is issued. 

• Providing real time data: Real time information will help to collate scattered information into a transparent, accessible, integrated grid and do away with the inefficiencies associated with information asymmetries. 

• New evolving threats: Use of social media and other platforms for recruitment and propaganda by terrorist groups, and formal banking channels are used to transact terror funding.

Challenges faced in implementation of National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) 

• Lack of consensus among various ministries: Ministries including defence had expressed their reservations on the project. There is a fear among the stakeholders that MHA would have access to all information under their jurisdiction. 

• Reduced relevance: Project was need of the hour in 2008, but since it failed to start, mostly all intelligence agencies, state police and central armed police developed their own mechanism. 

• Lack of adequate safeguards and protections: Lack of adequate laws to govern Intelligence Agencies and lack of privacy and data protection laws can result in possible violations of privacy and leakage of confidential personal information. 

• Possible misuse of database: There has been widespread misuse of surveillance capabilities, in recent years, to compromise individual privacy and even violate national sovereignty. For example Snowden files (top-secret documents about telephone records that Edward Snowden stole from National Security Agency of US). 

• Doubts over efficacy: As State police will not be part of NATGRID they will not be able to access database. It will impact overall efficacy as state agencies are first line responder in most cases. 

• Resistance from the intelligence agencies: Because of the fear that it would impinge on their territory and possibly result in leaks on the leads they were working on to other agencies. 

• Infringes on the federal system of the Constitution: For example NCRB is under the Union government and the data pertaining to FIRs of a particular police station is a State subject.