India scales up NIA for global counter-terror fight

The government has significantly scaled up the country’s counter-terrorism research and investigation capabilities by widening the scope of a unit within the NIA and including all theatres of terrorism across the globe.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said on Tuesday that the NIA’s ISIS Investigation Research Cell (IIRC), set up in 2018, has been renamed as the Counter Terrorism Research Cell (CTRC), with an aim to include all theatres of terrorism.

“The Government has created the ISIS Investigation Research Cell (IIRC) in NIA in January, 2018 and broadened its scope to other theatres of terrorism and renamed it as Counter Terrorism Research Cell (CTRC),” Rai said.

The move signals a strategic shift to analyse and counter a wider role of extremist and terrorist threats, beyond the specific challenge posed by the Islamic State (ISIS).

Besides renaming the IIRC to CTRC, the minister detailed several other specialised additions aimed at modernising and strengthening the National Investigation Agency (NIA), including the Anti Human Trafficking Division (AHTD), the Anti Cyber Terrorism Division (ACTD), the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) cell and the Financial Analysis Unit (FAU).

He also informed the House about the creation of another specialised unit, the National Terror Data Fusion and Analysis Centre (NTDFAC), for enabling big data analytics and facilitating the automation and digitisation of investigative processes for enhanced efficiency and accountability.

It may be mentioned that in 2019, the NIA, which was set up after the 26/11 Mumbai attack, was allowed to investigate scheduled offences committed outside India, subject to international treaties and domestic laws of other countries.

Giving details of steps taken to strengthen the NIA, Rai said the agency has a total of 1,901 posts at present, of which 769 have been sanctioned over the last five years.

“Further, the mandate of NIA has also been expanded to investigate offences related to the Explosive Substances Act, 1908, human trafficking, cyber terrorism and the Arms Act, 1959. Footprint of NIA has been expanded pan India, by establishing 21 branch offices in different parts of the country, with 02 Zonal Offices (in Guwahati and Jammu) and Headquarters at Delhi,” the minister said in his reply.

He said the NIA probes and prosecutes offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India, friendly relations with foreign states, matters relating to international treaties etc. Specified in the schedule to the NIA Act, 2008.