Monday, March 15, 2010

Inadequate Safeguards Stalled Natgrid Temporarily

The proposal to launch national intelligence grid (NATGRID) in India was recently considered by Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) of India. The CCS took a clue from precautionary advice given by techno-legal expert Praveen Dalal regarding the possible political misuse and violation of civil liberties of the Indian citizens. As a result, the CCS withheld its nod and asked the Home Ministry to come back after further consultation with all stakeholders and incorporating adequate safeguards in this regard.

A “dedicated resource” in this regard has been launched by Perry4Law in this regard that may be helpful for the Indian government while implementing projects like Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) Project (CCTNS Project), National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID), Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) of India, E-Surveillance under the Information Technology Act 2000 (IT Act 2000) and other laws, etc.

The basic purpose of this initiative is to strengthen the human rights protection in cyberspace that is increasingly violated by governments and private individuals alike. Further, the resource also intends to provide good and effective legal framework for protection of civil liberties in cyberspace.

SOURCE: ITVOIR