Finally, NCTC gets govt notification
Josy Joseph & Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Feb 5, 2012, 04.26AM IST
NEW DELHI: The government has 'notified' the setting up of the ambitious anti-terror body - National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) - giving it 'power' through an executive order to carry out operations, including arrest, search and seizure, as part of its mandate to be the country's main counter-terror agency.
Coming up three weeks after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the NCTC, the notification states that the specialized body will derive powers from the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and towards that end it has been included among the agencies that are designated under the anti-terror law.
The notification was issued on Friday when the attention was focused on what could be in store for Union home minister P Chidambaram - the main push behind the formation of the body - in the 2G special court.
NCTC, a fallout of the national humiliation over the 26/11 attack on Mumbai, is supposed to collect and collate intelligence on terror groups and co-ordinate response to threats. Impediments to the exchange of information has been hampering the fight against terror, with crucial inputs often falling through the cracks caused by turf battles among agencies that prefer to work in silos. Aspiring to achieve seamless exchange of inputs, the notification mandates agencies to share their inputs with NCTC.
The final shape of the agency looks far stronger than what had initially been estimated, with the powers bestowed upon it through UAPA expanding its reach far beyond the Multiple Agency Centre (MAC) which was tasked with collecting, collating and sharing intelligence inputs.
The home ministry has put in place a nationwide encrypted network with over 500 terminals for all NCTC participants to have real time sharing of information.
The NCTC will draw its 'functional' power of search and seizures under the provisions of the UAPA that allows Central agencies such powers in terror-related case while keeping state police concerned into the loop. It will be headed by a director who will have a 'core' team comprising senior IPS officers, primarily from intelligence agencies. D P Sinha, additional director in the Intelligence Bureau, is reported to be the frontrunner for heading the agency. Sinha, an old IB hand, looked after counter-terror operations for long, having been associated with some big successes - the most recent being the elimination of IM commander Atif Ameen.
The core team will be the 'nucleus' around which the new organization will be built up by either by appointing new officers or taking the experienced ones from other agencies and state police on deputation.
"Notification is issued under Article 73 of the Constitution which provides for 'executive' power to the central government. Director and his core team will be appointed shortly under the notification," said a senior official.
Director of this anti-terror agency will have full functional autonomy. He will also have the power to seek terror-related information from any central agencies including intelligence units of the CBI, National Investigation Agency, NATGRID, National Technical Research Organization, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and all seven central armed police forces including NSG.
Although the NCTC will work as an "integral" part of Intelligence Bureau and its director will report to the IB chief and the home minister/home secretary, it will have a focused counter-terrorism 'jobs' like how similar specialized body works in other countries including the US, the UK, Germany, France, Israel, Russia, China and Japan.
The anti-terror body's function will include drawing up of plans and coordinating all actions and integrating all the intelligence pertaining to counter terrorism. It will coordinate with relevant investigation and intelligence agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of terror are brought to justice, besides maintaining comprehensive data base of terrorists, their associates and supporters.
Officials do not rule out the possibility of giving the agency more teeth by making certain law in future based on its experience. "Shortcomings or deficiencies, if any, will give us an idea whether the agency needs more power or not," said an official..........http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEyLzAyLzA1I0FyMDE3MDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
Josy Joseph & Vishwa Mohan |TNN | Feb 5, 2012, 04.26AM IST
NEW DELHI: The government has 'notified' the setting up of the ambitious anti-terror body - National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) - giving it 'power' through an executive order to carry out operations, including arrest, search and seizure, as part of its mandate to be the country's main counter-terror agency.
Coming up three weeks after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) had approved the NCTC, the notification states that the specialized body will derive powers from the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and towards that end it has been included among the agencies that are designated under the anti-terror law.
The notification was issued on Friday when the attention was focused on what could be in store for Union home minister P Chidambaram - the main push behind the formation of the body - in the 2G special court.
NCTC, a fallout of the national humiliation over the 26/11 attack on Mumbai, is supposed to collect and collate intelligence on terror groups and co-ordinate response to threats. Impediments to the exchange of information has been hampering the fight against terror, with crucial inputs often falling through the cracks caused by turf battles among agencies that prefer to work in silos. Aspiring to achieve seamless exchange of inputs, the notification mandates agencies to share their inputs with NCTC.
The final shape of the agency looks far stronger than what had initially been estimated, with the powers bestowed upon it through UAPA expanding its reach far beyond the Multiple Agency Centre (MAC) which was tasked with collecting, collating and sharing intelligence inputs.
The home ministry has put in place a nationwide encrypted network with over 500 terminals for all NCTC participants to have real time sharing of information.
The NCTC will draw its 'functional' power of search and seizures under the provisions of the UAPA that allows Central agencies such powers in terror-related case while keeping state police concerned into the loop. It will be headed by a director who will have a 'core' team comprising senior IPS officers, primarily from intelligence agencies. D P Sinha, additional director in the Intelligence Bureau, is reported to be the frontrunner for heading the agency. Sinha, an old IB hand, looked after counter-terror operations for long, having been associated with some big successes - the most recent being the elimination of IM commander Atif Ameen.
The core team will be the 'nucleus' around which the new organization will be built up by either by appointing new officers or taking the experienced ones from other agencies and state police on deputation.
"Notification is issued under Article 73 of the Constitution which provides for 'executive' power to the central government. Director and his core team will be appointed shortly under the notification," said a senior official.
Director of this anti-terror agency will have full functional autonomy. He will also have the power to seek terror-related information from any central agencies including intelligence units of the CBI, National Investigation Agency, NATGRID, National Technical Research Organization, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and all seven central armed police forces including NSG.
Although the NCTC will work as an "integral" part of Intelligence Bureau and its director will report to the IB chief and the home minister/home secretary, it will have a focused counter-terrorism 'jobs' like how similar specialized body works in other countries including the US, the UK, Germany, France, Israel, Russia, China and Japan.
The anti-terror body's function will include drawing up of plans and coordinating all actions and integrating all the intelligence pertaining to counter terrorism. It will coordinate with relevant investigation and intelligence agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of terror are brought to justice, besides maintaining comprehensive data base of terrorists, their associates and supporters.
Officials do not rule out the possibility of giving the agency more teeth by making certain law in future based on its experience. "Shortcomings or deficiencies, if any, will give us an idea whether the agency needs more power or not," said an official..........http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=VE9JTS8yMDEyLzAyLzA1I0FyMDE3MDA=&Mode=Gif&Locale=english-skin-custom
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