Internal security agencies in India and abroad face unprecedented challenges: the need to tackle crime, address the increasing challenge of transnational criminal networks and the ongoing threat of international and domestic terrorism, cyber crime, money laundering, narcoterrorism and human trafficking. In parallel, they must meet increasing citizen expectations for more visible community-oriented law enforcement and greater public transparency and accountability.
Moreover, security agencies must meet these challenges while reducing costs and resources, improving efficiency and eliminating waste.
Over the past decade, India’s internal security landscape has seen dramatic changes. Given these changes and the complex security environment, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has already been at the forefront of strengthening the national security apparatus and communication and information management systems.
These initiatives include establishment and operationalisation of regional NSG hubs, operationalisation of intelligence exchange between the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) and its state level subsidiaries (SMAC), and the establishment of the National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) among other initiatives. These initiatives need sophisticated systems for intelligence gathering and analysis and internal security operations management.
The need of the hour is effective and intelligent information management. Effective information management enables security agencies to reduce costs by minimising waste and duplication and using information gathering resources more efficiently. This can remove unnecessary recording, enable security agencies to share services and systems, help create intelligence from disparate pieces of information, allow for better use of analytics to support decision-making and ensure specialist law enforcement skills are utilised effectively in the community.
This report offers insights on the ways information management can be strengthened so as to protect natural interests and safe guard citizens in the face of significant security threats.