India is having a whole long queue of problems to tackle in national & international arenas. Like many other issues in these critical times, the proposal for establishing a National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) to coordinate the anti-terrorism efforts of the Union and the States has also become a very important pending issue. The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) is a proposed federal anti-terror agency to be created in India, modelled on the National Counter Terrorism Center of the USA. The proposal arose after the 2008 Mumbai attacks where several intelligence and operational failures revealed the need for a federal agency with real time intelligence inputs of actionable value specifically to counter terrorist acts against India. The Centre is planning to revive the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), a project conceived by the UPA government.
NCTC Revival to be soon
The government is planning to rework the NCTC proposal to allay the fears of State governments that their intelligence gathering mechanism would be encroached upon by the Centre. It was after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack that the then Home Minister suggested setting up of the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), on the lines of the one in the United States and the British Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, for coordinated counter-terror operations. The NCTC would derive its powers from the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967. Government initially proposed that it will be a part of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and will be headed by a Director who will report to the Director, IB and the Home Secretary.
Powers of NCTC
- It has the power to conduct searches and arrests in any part of India.
- The NCTC, to be located within the Intelligence Bureau, will carry out counter-terror operations and collect, collate and disseminate data on terrorism.
- The agency will also maintain a data base on terrorist and their associates including their families.
- The NCTC will also formulate a response to terror threats.
- It is meant to serve as a single and effective point of control and coordination of all counter terrorism measures.
- It will have the mandate to carry out anti-terror operations, if any, through, or in conjunction with, the State police.
