The National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid), being set up across the country, would act as a deterrent against terrorism, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said here on Saturday.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone for a Rs. 92-crore Disaster Recovery Centre of Natgrid in Yelahanka, the Minister said the project was envisaged to connect databases between intelligence agencies and the organisations providing information to enhance India’s counter-terror capabilities.
As a counter-terror measure, Natgrid would collect and collate information from state-run databases, including tax and bank account details, credit card transactions, visa and immigration records and itineraries of rail and air travel, he said.
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Calling upon IT professionals of Bangalore to join the Natgrid team and contribute towards building a system for national security, he said: “By virtue of its very existence, Natgrid will act as a preventive deterrent. Bangalore will provide the requisite ecosystem to develop Natgrid into a world-class entity and a unique framework for ensuring national security. Once the project is completed, India will join the handful of countries in the world that have such capabilities.”
“Information and indicators of possible attacks are present in separate parts of the system but there is no technological framework to help the agencies to put the pieces together to develop actionable and timely intelligence. This is the lesson that has emerged post 26/11. Natgrid has been conceived to provide a powerful framework that will help the agencies to deal with any kind of eventuality in the sphere of counter terrorism and national security,” he said.
Natgrid will use cutting-edge technology to help strengthen the intelligence and law enforcement agency’s ability to swiftly piece together information that could help pre-empt attacks or find the perpetrators.
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“Our government has ensured that a 26/11 type of attack has not recurred in the past 5 years. Hanging of Ajmal Kasab, Afzal Guru and arrest of Yasin Bhatkal, Haddi and Tunda, solving the bomb blast cases of Bodh Gaya and Patna, within no time, shows the resolve of the government to provide safety and security to people,” he said.
Natgrid data will be accessed and shared by 11 central intelligence agencies, including the National Investigation Agency, Research and Analysis Wing, Central Bureau of Investigation, Intelligence Bureau, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Narcotics Control Bureau and the Enforcement Directorate.
The state-run National Building Construction Corporation will build the disaster recovery centre by 2015.