NATGRID

Subject: Government organization

Context:

Income Tax Department is going to sign an MoU with National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) to facilitate automatic exchange of information linked to bank accounts, PAN, tax returns and any other “mutually agreed” information with 10 agencies .

Concept:

• National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is an attached office of Ministry of Home Affairs
• It has been created as an IT platform to assist the intelligence and law enforcement agencies in ensuring national and internal security, with the ultimate aim to counter terror.
• NATGRID, an integrated intelligence grid which will connect databases of core security agencies, gathered pace in 2016
• NATGRID will have data related to all immigration entry and exit, banking and financial transactions, credit card purchases, telecom, individual taxpayers, air flyers, train travellers besides others to generate intelligence inputs.
• The 10 agencies which will be able to access the NATGRID data on real-time basis are: Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Enforcement Directorate (ED), Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Directorate General of Central Excise and Intelligence (DGCEI) and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
• Initially, no state agencies will be given direct access to the NATGRID data. However, whenever any relevant information is required, they can approach the NATGRID through any of the 10 user agencies.