💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (August Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF

Subject: Governance

Important aspects of Society

  • Centralisation in decision making in education

    The article tracks the evolution of the India education system after Independence. While the decentralisation and active encouragement underscores the initial years, recent trends shows a growing emphasis on centralisation.

    How Government support contributed to rise of educational institutions

    • In the initial decades after Independence, the government was conscious of various social, economic and financial challenges.
    • So, the government strongly supported universities, encouraging them to further develop an academic .
    • The IITs and IIM along with institutions of academic excellence like the IISc, Indian Statistical Institute, and JNU emerged as model institutions.
    • The institutional and academic autonomy offered was central to their emerging as premier institutions.
    • Other universities revised curricula and set about the task of reforming the university as a space for healthy academic engagement.

    Rise of decentralisation in collective decision making

    • The above changes were marked by the growing importance of various large representative institutional bodies.
    • For example, institutional bodies like faculty committees, committees of courses, board of studies, university senates, academic councils and executive councils grew in importance.
    • These bodies oversaw the administrative and academic functioning of the university and ensured collective decision-making.
    • Debate over ideological positions, scholarly beliefs shaped the process of nation-building in independent India.

    Policy changes and its impact (2005-15)

    • The constitution of the National Knowledge Commission and privatisation of education undermined the deliberative and independent character of these institutions of higher education.
    • Administrative and academic decisions were imposed from above.
    • Discussions within various academic bodies were discouraged.
    • The imposition of the semester system and a four-year undergraduate programme in many public and private universities were hallmarks of this new era of bureaucratic centralisation.
    • The academic achievements of scholars from Indian universities were undermined.
    • Those in positions of authority within the universities were encouraged to undermine academic bodies and limit their role.

    New government intervention after 2015

    • Futher changes were introduced starting from 2015.
    • Choice Based Credit System was introduced and there were renewed attempts to privatise higher education linked to an emphasis on rankings.
    • The government started to look into minute details pertaining to academic curricula, the teaching-learning process and the parameters that governed academic research within the university.

    Centralisation in Covid-19 pandemic

    • The centralisation trend intensified with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
    • The Central government and the University Grants Commission have imposed themselves on the daily functioning of all higher educational institutions.
    • This represents a new government-oriented bureaucratic centralisation.
    • Decisions about the conclusion of academic term, the modalities for evaluation and the conduct of the teaching-learning process have become exclusive government prerogatives.
    • The various academic bodies that had original jurisdiction over these matters have been made redundant.
    • How and whether examinations are to be conducted has become an issue of contention between State and Central governments.

    Consider the question “Centralisation of the decision making instead of at institutional level in educational institutions and universities lies at many woes of the higher education in India. Comment.”

    Conclusion

    The time has come for institutions of higher education in India to recover their lost voice and restore the fertile academic space where ideas are discussed and debated rather than suppressed and dismissed.

    Original article:

    https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/the-lost-voice-of-the-indian-university/article32105945.ece

  • [pib] NISHTHA Programme

    The first on-line NISHTHA programme for 1200 Key Resources Persons in Andhra Pradesh was launched by Union HRD Ministry.

    There are various web/portals/apps with peculiar names such as YUKTI, DISHA, SWAYAM etc. Their core purpose is similar with slight differences. Pen them down on a separate sheet under the title various digital HRD initiatives.

     

    Add one more to this list.

    NISHTHA Programme

    • NISHTHA is an acronym for National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement.
    • It is the largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world.
    • The basic objective of this massive training programme ‘NISHTHA’ is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.
    • The initiative is first of its kind wherein standardized training modules are developed at national level for all States and UTs.
    • The States and UTs can also contextualize the training modules and use their own material and resource persons also, keeping in view the core topics and expected outcomes of NISHTHA.

    Progress till date

    • Around 23,000 Key Resource Persons and 17.5 lakh teachers and school heads have been covered under this NISHTHA face to face mode till date.
    • It has been customized for online mode to be conducted through DIKSHA and NISHTHA portals by the NCERT.
  • What is Non-Personal Data?

    A government committee headed by Infosys co-founder has suggested that non-personal data generated in the country be allowed to be harnessed by various domestic companies and entities.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.What is Non-Personal Data? Discuss its utility and various privacy concerns associated with it.

    What is non-personal data?

    • In its most basic form, non-personal data is any set of data which does not contain personally identifiable information.
    • This, in essence, means that no individual or living person can be identified by looking at such data.
    • For example, while order details collected by a food delivery service will become non-personal data if the identifiers such as name and contact information are taken out.
    • The government committee, which submitted its report, has classified non-personal data into three main categories, namely public non-personal data, community non-personal data and private non-personal data.

    Types of non-personal data

    Depending on the source of the data and whether it is anonymised in a way that no individual can be re-identified from the data set, the three categories have been divided:

    1) Public

    All the data collected by government and its agencies such as census, data collected by municipal corporations on the total tax receipts in a particular period or any information collected during execution of all publicly funded works have been kept under the umbrella of public non-personal data.

    2) Community

    Any data identifiers about a set of people who have the same geographic location, religion, job, or other common social interests will form the community non-personal data. For example, the metadata collected by ride-hailing apps, telecom companies, electricity distribution companies among others have been put under the community non-personal data category by the committee.

    3) Private

    Private non-personal data can be defined as those which are produced by individuals which can be derived from the application of proprietary software or knowledge.

    How sensitive can non-personal data be?

    • Unlike personal data, which contains explicit information about a person’s name, age, gender, sexual orientation, biometrics and other genetic details, non-personal data is more likely to be in an anonymised form.
    • However, in certain categories such as data related to national security or strategic interests such as locations of government laboratories or research facilities, even if provided in anonymised form can be dangerous.
    • Similarly, even if the data is about the health of a community or a group of communities, though it may be in anonymised form, it can still be dangerous, the committee opined.
    • Possibilities of such harm are obviously much higher if the original personal data is of a sensitive nature.
    • Therefore, the non-personal data arising from such sensitive personal data may be considered as sensitive non-personal data.

    What are the global standards on non-personal data?

    • In May 2019, the EU came out with a regulatory framework for the free flow of non-personal data.
    • It suggested that member states of the union would cooperate with each other when it came to data sharing.
    • Such data, the EU had then ruled would be shared by member states without any hindrances.
    • The authorities must inform the commission of any draft act which introduces a new data localisation requirement or makes changes to an existing data localisation requirement.
    • The regulation, however, had not defined what non-personal data constituted of and had simply said all data which is not personal would be under its category.

    What areas does India’s non-personal data draft miss?

    • Though the non-personal data draft is a pioneer in identifying the power, role, and usage of anonymised data, there are certain aspects such as community non-personal data, where the draft could have been clearer.
    • Non-personal data often constitute protected trade secrets and often raises significant privacy concerns.
    • The paper proposes the nebulous concept of community data while failing to adequately provide for community rights.
    • Other experts also believe that the final draft of the non-personal data governance framework must clearly define the roles for all participants, such as the data principal, the data custodian, and data trustees.

    Conclusion

    • Regulation must be clear, and concise to provide certainty to its market participants, and must demarcate the roles and responsibilities of participants in the regulatory framework.
    • The report is unclear on these counts and requires public consultation and more deliberation.
  • No medical examination for Trans Persons

    After facing flak from the transgender community, the Centre has done away with the requirement of a medical examination for trans persons applying for a certificate of identity in its latest draft rules framed under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.What are the salient features of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019? Also, discuss the loopholes.

    What are the new rules?

    • The draft of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Rules, 2020, published stated that a District Magistrate would issue a transgender identity certificate and card based on an affidavit by the applicant, but without any medical examination.

    Issue with the earlier draft

    • An earlier draft of the rules had mandated a report from a psychologist along with the affidavit for the application.
    • The transgender rights movement had opposed this, as it was seen as going against a trans person’s right to self-identification, which was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2014.

    Change of gender is permissible

    • In case of change of gender, the application for new identification would require a certificate from the medical superintendent or chief medical officer of the medical institution where the applicant the surgery.
    • For this, the Centre has proposed a series of welfare schemes, including making at least one hospital in each State equipped to provide safe and free gender-affirming surgery and counselling and hormone replacement therapy among others.

    Back2Basics: The 2014 Judgement on Trans-persons Rights

    • The Supreme Court in 2014 recognized transgenders as the third gender in a landmark ruling, saying it was addressing a “human rights issue”.
    • The ruling came after it heard a PIL filed by National Legal Services Authority (Nalsa) demanding equal rights.
    • The judgements said that non-recognition of gender identity amounts to discrimination under Article 15, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex.
    • The spirit of the constitution is to provide equal opportunity to every citizen to grow and attain their potential, irrespective of caste, religion or gender said justices K.S. Radhakrishnan and A.K. Sikri in their ruling.
    • Self-identification as man or woman, irrespective of sexual reassignment surgery, was now protected by law.
    • The judges said rights such as the right to vote, own property, marry and to “claim a formal identity” would be made available “more meaningfully” to the transgender community as a result of the ruling.

    Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019

    The Parliament passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2019.

    Key Features

    • Definition of a transgender person: The Bill defines a transgender person as one whose gender does not match the gender assigned at birth. It includes transmen and trans-women, persons with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities, such as kinnar and hijra.
    • Certificate of identity: A transgender person may make an application to the District Magistrate for a certificate of identity, indicating the gender as ‘transgender’.
    • Prohibition against discrimination: The Bill prohibits discrimination against a transgender person, including denial of service or unfair treatment in relation to:
      • Education, employment, healthcare.
      • Access to or enjoyment of goods, facilities, opportunities available to the public.
      • Right to movement, right to reside, rent, or otherwise occupy property.
      • Opportunity to hold public or private office.
      • Access to a government or private establishment in whose care or custody a transgender person is.
    • Health care
      • The Bill also seeks to provide rights of health facilities to transgender persons including separate HIV surveillance centres, and sex reassignment surgeries.
      • It also states that the government shall review medical curriculum to address health issues of transgender persons, and provide comprehensive medical insurance schemes for them.
    • It calls for establishing a National Council for Transgender persons (NCT).
    • Punishment: It states that the offences against transgender persons will attract imprisonment between six months and two years, in addition to a fine.

  • [pib] PRAGYATA Guidelines on Digital Education

    Union HRD Ministry has released PRAGYATA Guidelines on Digital Education through online medium.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.Discuss the impact of the COVID induced lockdowns on the education system in India. Give some solutions for it.

    PRAGYATA guidelines

    • The guidelines include eight steps of online/ digital learning that is, Plan- Review- Arrange- Guide- Yak(talk)- Assign- Track- Appreciate.
    • These guidelines have been developed from the perspective of learners, with a focus on online/blended/digital education for students who are presently at home due to lockdown.
    • It provides a roadmap or pointers for carrying forward online education to enhance the quality of education.
    • The guidelines will be relevant and useful for a diverse set of stakeholders including school heads, teachers, parents, teacher educators and students.
    • It stresses upon the use of an alternative academic calendar of NCERT, for both, learners having access to digital devices and learners having limited or no access.

     Major highlights

    The guidelines highlight 3 modes of online education:

    The guidelines outline suggestions for administrators, school heads, teachers, parents and students in the following areas:

    • Need assessment
    • Concerns while planning online and digital education like duration, screen time, inclusiveness, balanced online and offline activities etc level-wise
    • Modalities of intervention including resource curation, level-wise delivery etc.
    • Physical, mental health and wellbeing during digital education
    • Cyber safety and ethical practices including precautions and measures for maintaining cyber safety
    • Collaboration and convergence with various initiatives

    Recommended screen time

    Class Recommendation
    Pre Primary Not more than 30 minutes.
    Classes 1 to 12 Recommended to adopt/adapt the alternative academic calendar of NCERT
    Classes 1 to 8 Not more than two sessions of 30-45 minutes each on the days
    Classes 9 to 12 Not more than four sessions of 30-45 minutes each on the days

    Guidelines for parents

    • For parents, the guideline helps to understand the need for physical, mental health and wellbeing along with the cyber safety measures for children at home.
    • Guidelines for physical health and mental wellness is stressed so that children do not get overly stretched or stressed, or get affected owing to prolonged use of digital devices.
    • Also, it provides sufficient Dos and Don’ts regarding ergonomics and cyber safety.
  • [pib] India’s Voluntary National Review (VNR) of SDGs

    The NITI Aayog has recently presented India’s second Voluntary National Review at the UN’s High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, 2020.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.Discuss the institutional approach adopted by NITI Aayog for the 2030 Agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

    About the UN Forum on SDGs

    • The HLPF is the foremost international platform for follow-up and review of progress on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
    • The HLPF meets annually in July for eight days under the auspices of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN.
    • The VNRs presented by the Member States at the HLPF are a critical component of the review of progress and implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
    • The reviews are voluntary and state-led and are aimed at facilitating the sharing of experiences, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.

    India VNR 2020

    • NITI Aayog prepared and presented India’s first VNR in 2017.
    • The report is a comprehensive account of the adoption and implementation of the 2030 Agenda in India.
    • India’s VNR this year has undertaken a paradigm shift in terms of embodying a “whole-of-society” approach in letter and spirit.
    • Apart from presenting a review of progress on the 17 SDGs, the report discusses at length the policy and enabling environment, India’s approach to localizing SDGs, and strengthening means of implementation.
    • Leveraging science, technology and innovation for SDGs, and costing and financing of SDGs are the two levers of strengthening means of implementation which have been introduced this year.

    Consultations made for the VNR 2020

    From Global to Local -key steps of localisation of SDGs in India

     

  • Breaking the politicians-criminals-bureaucrats nexus

    The root cause of impunity with which police perpetrated crimes lies in the in a nexus. The nexus between politicians, criminals and government functionaries needs to be broken down. This article suggests the ways to do that.

    The context

    • The recent custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu and encounter of a criminal by the UP police showed the police in a bad light.
    • However, when we dig deeper into the problem we realise that its root lies in the nexus of politicians, criminals and the government functionaries.

    Past attempt to break the nexus

    • In 1993, the Vohra Committee had submitted a report on the nexus between the criminals, politicians and government functionaries.
    • DIB suggested that an institution be set up to effectively deal with the menace.
    • There were discussions in parliament, but the matter ended there.
    • There was hardly any follow-up action.

    Criminalisation of politics

    • The number of members of parliament with criminal background has been going up with every successive election.
    • It was, according to the Association of Democratic Reforms, 30 per cent in 2009, 34 per cent in 2014 and 43 per cent in 2019.
    • The present UP Assembly has 36 per cent or 143 MLAs with criminal cases against them.
    • This lead to the administration turning a blind eye to the illegal activities of the criminals.
    • The nexus has proliferated and grown in strength down the years.
    • It creates an environment where the criminals who are part of the nexus are able to dodge the due processes of law.

    Suggestions

    • 1) We must have a law which debars persons with serious criminal cases from entering the assemblies and the Parliament.
    • 2) The criminal justice system must be revamped as recommended by the Malimath Committee.
    • 3) The Supreme Court’s directions on police reforms must be implemented.
    • 4) An institution comprising representatives of the police/CBI/NIA, IB, IT department, Revenue Intelligence and Enforcement Directorate should be set up to monitor the activities of the mafia and criminal syndicates in the country.
    • 5) A Central act on the lines of MCOCA should be enacted to curb the activities of organised criminal gangs.
    • 6) The concept of federal crime, as recommended by the Second Administrative Reforms Commission, should be accepted.
    • Crimes with all-India ramifications or are trans-national in character, like those of terrorism and organised crimes, should be brought within the ambit of federal crimes.

    Consider the question “The nexus of criminals, politicians and government functionaries is at the root of many problems the country faces today. Examine the problems created by the nexus and suggest ways to deal with the problem.”

    Conclusion

    We must, without further delay, build an environment where police become an instrument of service to the people, where monsters like Dubey do not thrive and become a menace to society.

  • Smart Cities Mission and the public health

    “Smart Cities Mission” lacks the focus on public health. This article highlights the consequences of this. The article suggests strengthening the of local governments and provisions for the livelihood through an urban employment guarantee scheme.

    “Smart Cities Mission”: Progress so far

    • The ‘Smart Cities Mission’, a flagship programme of the government, completed five years, in June 2020.
    •  The Mission had sought to make 100 selected cities “smart”.
    • Cities are being developed under “Area-Based Development” model.
    • Under this model, a small portion of the city would be upgraded by retrofitting or redevelopment.
    • Many of the projects undertaken under the ‘Smart Cities Mission’ are behind schedule.
    • According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, of the 5,151 smart city projects, only 1,638 projects have been completed.
    • In terms of expenditure, of the total investment of ₹2,05,018 crore, only projects worth ₹26,700 crore have been completed.

    Lack of focus on Public health in Smart Cities Mission

    • ‘Smart Cities Mission’ has given little importance to basic services such as public health.
    •  An analysis shows that only 69 of over 5,000 projects undertaken under the Mission were for health infrastructure.
    • These projects are for an estimated cost of ₹2,112 crore, amounting to just around one per cent of the total mission cost.
    • Hence, public health seems to be a major blind spot in India’s smart city dreams.

    Public Health: Essential local government function

    • ‘Smart Cities Mission’ had the stated aim of improving the quality of life of urban residents.
    • Further, public health is an essential local government function in India’s constitutional scheme.
    • As per the 74th Amendment ( 12th Schedule), “public health” is one of the 18 functions that are to be devolved to the municipalities.
    • However, public health infrastructure of cities has often been neglected over the years.

    Strengthening Local Governments

    • Success of Kerala in containing the pandemic has shown how a decentralised political and administrative system can be effective.
    • It is important to strengthen local government capacities.
    • Investment in urban public health systems is needed.
    • Promoting programmes that improve the livelihoods of urban vulnerable communities should be the priority.
    • Programs such as the National Urban Livelihoods Mission and National Urban Health Mission, need to be strengthened.

    Focus on Urban Employment

    • It is time to consider the introduction of a national urban employment guarantee programme.
    • Kerala has been running such a scheme since 2010.
    • States such as Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Jharkhand have also recently launched similar initiatives in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

    Consider the question “Covid pandemic has highlighted the lack of focus on public health in our Smart Cities Mission. Suggest the measures to make our cities resilient and source of livelihood. 

    Conclusion

    As Indian cities face an unprecedented challenge, it is important to get the priorities of urban development right and invest in programmes that improve the health and livelihoods of its residents.

  • Policing the police

    Custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu and death of a criminal in UP has brought to the fore the issue of illegalities carried out by the police. This article discusses the ways in which people face such illegalities and need for the reforms.

    Issue of illegalities by police

    • It is common practice in police stations to ignore the statute, laid down processes and Supreme Court guidelines.
    • So frequent is the brazen disobedience to the law that a lot of illegality seems to have morphed into accepted practice.

    Following are the ways in which police illegalities are carried out

    1) Custodial deaths

    •  The National Crime Records Bureau records 853 custodial deaths between 2010 to 2018.
    • At 1,636, the National Human Rights Commission puts the death figure much higher.
    • For this, just 3 policemen have been convicted.

    2) Issues of encounters

    •  The Supreme Court is clear that in each encounter case, an FIR must be registered and the matter probed independently.
    • If false, an “encounter” is premeditated murder.
    • Encounter threaten the basis of the rule of law.

    3) Avoiding registering complaint

    • Avoiding registration of complaint is the most common problem faced by the people.
    •  Even when the complaint is registered its magnitude is often diluted.
    • It is difficult for women, in particular, to get crimes registered.
    • So, in 2013, the law itself had to be changed.
    • Now a policeman who refuses to register a complaint of a sexual assault faces a two-year sentence.
    • The crime rate in India in 2018, it stood at 383.5 per 1,00,000 population.
    • By contrast, the crime rate in the US was over 2,500 per 1,00,000 .
    • This difference in crime rate highlights the reluctance by the police to registering crime.
    • This low crime rate on paper makes a fine excuse for governments to leave vacancies unfilled, go short on equipment and upgrades.
    • At 158, India’s police to population ratio which is police staff per 1,00,000 citizens, is one of the worst in the world. 

    4) Detention without cause

    •  People with prior records form a pool of easy pickings, as do the powerless.
    •  Often it is because the local public wants a quick arrest and the police want a scapegoat.

    5) Discrimination in arrest and investigation

    •  In the Tuticorin custodial murder, it took six days, the Madras High Court’s dogged intervention and a national hue and cry before six policemen could be arrested.
    • While police act swiftly in some cases, it goes soft against in other cases.

    Mechanisms and Checks and balances

    • There are many checks and balances from taluka to the national level to avoid police transgressions.
    • Internally, there are disciplinary mechanisms.
    • Outside, there are the courts.
    • Every state has human rights commissions, special interest bodies like the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, women, and minorities commissions, and some have the police complaints authorities.
    • The Supreme Court’s clear directions coupled with the criminal code provide ample safeguards against excess.

    Why these checks and balances fail

    • In real life, internal mechanisms are overindulgent of illegal behaviour, obscure and dilatory.
    • The first responder lower courts are constrained by capacity and circumstance.
    • Very few of the over one hundred guardian bodies dotted around the country work effectively

    Issues with the Guardian bodies

    • Many bodies are without any functions and powers.
    • Others are deliberately left understaffed and under-resourced.
    • The Andhra Pradesh SHRC has no chairperson nor members.
    • Gujarat, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu SHRCs function with acting chairs.
    • The few institutions that have the power and resources restrain their own functioning through terminal timidity.

    Consider the question “Issue of the illegalities by the police raises the question of guarding the guardians. Examine the ways in which police illegalities are manifested and suggest ways to deal with the issue.”

    Conclusion

    The number and regularity of heinous crimes by the police calls out for root and branch repair of the police and the many guardian agencies tasked with keeping them lawful.

  • National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) signed MoU with NCRB

    The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has signed an MoU with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to access the centralised online database on FIRs and stolen vehicles. The MoU would enable the NATGRID to get information about details of a suspect as mentioned in the FIR such as his/her father’s name, telephone number and other details.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.What is NATGRID? Discuss its role in facilitating criminal investigation and intelligence by various agencies.

    About NATGRID

    • NATGRID initially started in 2009 is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information and putting them together on one platform.
    • It links intelligence and investigation agencies.
    • At least 10 Central government agencies, such as the Intelligence Bureau, Research and Analysis Wing and others have access to the data on a secured platform.
    • NATGRID is exempted from the Right to Information Act, 2005 under sub-section (2) of Section 24.

    Utility of NATGRID

    • The NATGRID enables multiple security and intelligence agencies to access a database related to immigration entry and exit, banking and telephone details, among others, from a common platform.
    • The 10 user agencies will be linked independently with certain databases which will be procured from 21 providing organisations including telecom, tax records, bank, immigration etc. to generate intelligence inputs.

    Back2Basics: National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

    • The NCRB is a government agency responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL).
    • NCRB is headquartered in New Delhi and is part of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
    • NCRB was set-up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators.
    • Mission: To Empower Indian Police with IT and criminal Intelligence to enable them to uphold the law and protect people & to provide leadership and excellence in crime analysis particularly for serious and organized crime.

    Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS)

    • The CCTNS is a project for creating a comprehensive and integrated system for effective policing through e-Governance.
    • The concept was first conceived in the year 2008 by the then Home Minister in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
    • The system includes a nationwide online tracking system by integrating more than 14,000 police stations across the country.
    • The project is implemented by NCRB.