NCTC to play bigger role in internal security
The National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) will have “much larger role” in internal-security than the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) formed in 2001 following the Pakistani Kargil intrusion in 1999 due to “intelligence failure”.
The counter terrorism body will not only be “an intelligence dissemination centre” like MAC but would address terror with a “a pro-active approach”, sources in the government told Deccan Herald. The central role of NCTC in the internal security, accurate and quick intelligence sharing and coordination of different counter-terrorism moves would emerge gradually in course of “next six months”, sources said.
The new body recently approved by the government is to be headed by an IPS officer of additional DGP who would report to the director of Central Intelligence Bureau (CIB) and thereby, to the Union Home secretary and Union Home minister. The current format of the NCTC requires all the heads of intelligence agencies to report to it, directly or indirectly, on any information relating to terrorism.
Some of the key ministries like Ministry of Defence and Finance Ministry have been opposing a bigger role for NCTC that may lead to “concentration of power” in one ministry.
Asked whether NCTC would just be an expanded form of MAC, sources said, “certainly not” but “the bigger role” would shape up with “experience”. MAC was formed in 2001 to have faster accessibility to the intelligence information emanating from various places in the country. Though the NCTC will not have “an operational wing”, it will have “a larger brief” and seek “operational intelligence (OI)” which can be acted upon in real time.
The body will have over-riding powers while pursuing the counter-terror cases in various states.“Intelligence sharing and coordination apart, NCTC may have a major role in planning counter-terror moves…”, feels former Director CIB Arun Bhagat. The former CIB official, would, however wait for some time before commenting on exact functioning of the new body. Some other top ex-intelligence officials feel that police reforms impacting directly the constable at the lowest level to the highest police ranks in the hierarchy are very important for collection of “good human intelligence”.
Asked whether NCTC’s success as a counter-terror body is not linked to police reforms, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, said: “Absolutely, states need to implement police reforms speedily, on its part Home Ministry is doing so in Union Territories”, he said.
The announcement of the name of the IPS heading the NCTC and “a core team” under him is expected to be announced sometime next month. The new mechanism is an umbrella body that would include CIB’s MAC, Joint Intelligence Committee, National Technical Research Organisation(NTRO), the National Security Guards, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and National Intelligence Grid (NatGrid). Country’s external intelligence Wing Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) would also be sharing information with NCTC.
