There will be a national database to monitor terrorists: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister said that the government is developing a national database to monitor Hawala transactions, terrorist funding, and terrorist activities among others.

The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) Bengaluru premises

“The union government will soon be developing a national database to monitor hawala transactions, terrorist funding, counterfeit currency, narcotics, bomb threats, illegal arms smuggling and other terrorist activities,” Shah said.

It will streamline the process for national security agencies as the barrier to critical information will be removed.

“With the help of data analytics and information technology, there should be a paradigm shift in the current way of working of agencies,” he said, as he expressed hope that NATGRID will fulfil the responsibility of linking various sources of data.

The security concerns of today have changed fundamentally when contrasted with the prior security challenges as far as information, extension and complexity, Shah said, accordingly, there is a requirement for legal and security agencies to have automated, secure and immediate access to information obtained from reliable sources.

The government has entrusted the task of creating and operating a state-of-the-art and innovative information technology platform for accessing information from the data collection organisations to NATGRID, Shah said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, state Home Minister Araga Gyanendra and Union Minister of State for Home Nishith Pramanik were also present at the event.

Shah said NATGRID ought to have a built-in mechanism for continuous up-gradation, and there should be a study group in NATGRID to create a database of modus operandi of various crimes committed within the country.

Shah urged the security agencies to be careful while using this system. The system should be used with extreme caution as it can be misused and violate the privacy of citizens. He said they should also ensure that as much as possible, data from the system is used to improve their efficiency.

The NATGRID CEO informed that the services of the NATGRID solution will be available to 11 central agencies and police of all States and Union Territories. It will link user agencies with data holders, giving them access to real-time information needed for intelligence services and investigations, an official release said.

C-DAC Pune has been roped in as Technology Partner and IIT, Bhilai as Plan Management Consultant for the development of NATGRID solution, it said.