JOIN USCounter-terrorism organisation gets more teeth
The newly created National Counter–terrorism Centre (NCTC) will have overriding powers to demand any information from any agency in the country and also to requisition any special force, including National Security Guard, in the country.
Expanding the reach and powers of the NCTC, the Centre has made it obligatory for all civil authorities in India and those working outside India to “act in the aid of the NCTC”.
A standing council of NCTC will have effective control of all counter-terror measures. The council will have a Director NCTC, three Joint-Directors NCTC, and heads of anti-terror organisation or force in each state. The council will meet as often as possible and also meet through video-conference.
The NCTC will be headed by an officer of the additional director of Intelligence Bureau (IB). The NCTC will have powers to set up Inter-state intelligence support teams (INSIST) and can always arrest and search under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.
The anti-terror body will have overriding powers to demand document, transcripts, cyber information and any other information from any agency. The information could be furnished to the NCTC “on such condition of confidentiality as may be reasonable in the circumstances of the case”.
The NCTC will have staff directly drawn from IB or deputed to it as also from other agencies as external intelligence Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Military-Intelligence (MI), National Technical and Research Organisation (NTRO), Joint-Intelligence Committee (JIC), Central Board of Direct Taxes (investigation), Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) , Director General of Military Intelligence (DGMI).
The three divisions of the IB will focus on collection and dissemination of information, analysis and coordination of counter–terrorism moves.
The NCTC will coordinate information with all other agencies and “take effective counter terrorism response”, according to the charter of the NCTC.
The counter–terror body will have an exhaustive data–base on terrorists, their friends, terror modules, gangs and underworld involved in terror-nexus.
The NCTC as approved recently has emerged as a vastly improved body of Multi–Agency–Centre formed after the Kargil intrusion