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Counter-terrorism grid                                                                               

5th January, 2022

                                           Copyright infringement is not intended

 

Context:  Home Ministry push to Intelligence Bureau’s counter-terrorism grid i.e. Multi Agency Centre (MAC).

 

About Multi Agency Centre:

  • Multi Agency Centre (MAC), a common counter-terrorism grid under the Intelligence Bureau (IB) that was made operational in 2001 post-Kargil war.
  • 28 organisations, including the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), armed forces and State police are part of the platform .
  • There are around 400 secured sites connected with the MAC headquarters.

 

 

Concerns with MAC:

  • System existed to share information, but it was not being implemented effectively.
  • States are reluctant to share information on the platform, it was also highlighted in the parliamentary standing committee report in 2020
  • Gaps in sharing critical information at the right time, although all the States have a subsidiary multi-agency centre (SMAC) located in all State capitals.

 

Why there is need of intelligence sharing?

  • Lack of quick information to intelligence and enforcement agencies is considered to be one of the major hurdles in mitigating crimes.
  • For handling and mitigating the continued threats of terrorism and global terror groups, terror financing, narco-terrorism, organised crime-terror nexus, illicit use of cyber space, movement of foreign terrorist fighters.
  • Help in building better coordination and synergy among the central and state security agencies in countering the ever-changing counter terrorism and security challenges.

 

India’s other counter-terrorism platform

  • National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) aimed at providing cutting-edge technology to boost India's counter-terror capabilities.
  • NATGRID is conceptualised as a seamless and secure database for information on terrorists, economic crimes and similar incidents to help bolster India's capabilities.
  • It track suspects and prevent terrorist attacks with real-time data and access to classified information like immigration, banking, individual taxpayers, air and train travels.
  • 26/11 prompted India to launch the NATGRID database

 

How will NATGRID work?

         

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/home-ministry-push-to-intelligence-bureaus-counter-terrorism-grid/article38113950.ece?homepage=true