Counter-terrorism grid

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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?