Thread by @detsolnet

Thread on Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS), a new information infrastructure being build by Ministry of Home Affairs. According to a press release by MHA, home secretary stated "along with CCTNS, ICJS will offer a 360 degree profile of anyone". mha.gov.in/sites/default/…

ICJS is a phase 2 extension of Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS). While CCTNS links all police stations to share information on crime, ICJS inter-links CCTNS with e-courts, e-prisons and e-forensics systems in India. Essentially centralizing information.

The ICJS system creates a dashboard with criminal profiles of anyone in the criminal justice system. Each organization in this system has only access to specific information with MHA having access to 360 degree profile of everyone using a UID
archive.org/details/icjs_2…

At the heart of this system is the website digitalpolice.gov.in which offers police search capability to access any of the details from the criminal justice network across India. Essentially track any person with a criminal history whether inside a prison or otherwise.

The system is designed to issue alerts to the nearest police station if you are being released in a week from a prison or if anyone visits you in the prison. This is ensured by demanding identification of the visitor (Aadhaar ideally), who further becomes part of the ICJS system.

The fundamental basis for identification of anyone for this system is using fingerprints, with expertise of fingerprint forensic within NCRB & fingerprint bureaus across India MHA chose this as a identification layer. ICJS was proposed in 2013 by MHA & approved in 2015 by cabinet

The ICJS system has access to a Automated Fingerprint Recognition System which is operational nationally across India. Over the years this discussion has moved towards facial recognition with the upcoming National Facial Recognition System part of CCTNS.

ICJS is a mega platform with newer systems that become part of it. Missing children tracking system is part of it & so is sexual offenders database, MHA wants to put offenders under surveillance. There is a judicial sanction to use Facial recognition for tracking children only.

In fact only after the use of facial recognition for tracking for missing children was brought up, the idea evolved towards a national facial recognition system. It gave the MHA a cover to build it for tracking missing children, but use it for other criminals too.

In the early days before the Aadhaar Act, the idea of using Aadhaar as UID for interlinking these systems was part of the design and execution for the project. But they realise they can't use it under the Act & because of the court orders. But it still is used by states.

Few states have already started implementing this system on a pilot basis, Telangana, Orissa, Delhi, Tamilnadu, Karnataka. The states are being given new toys to play with and they are using it differently. Kerala made Aadhaar mandatory for prisons in 2019 newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/…

The Telangana experience of these systems has been the most horrid. From cops stopping random people everyday to check if they are criminals using fingerprint scanners and facial recognition systems. Telangana experience was a best CCTNS practice. ncrb.gov.in/sites/default/…

CCTNS was built post 26/11 mumbai attacks. While the proposal for it existed since 2006 and before part of the National e-Governance Plan, it was 26/11 that forced MHA to collect data at scale. Now all the CCTNS data goes to NATGRID. thehindu.com/news/national/…

This is just one of those 360 degree information structure that is upcoming in India, which inverses the idea of not guilty until proven to guilty until not proven. The practices that are emerging because of these information sharing are illegal and are not backed by any law.

You can read more about the ICJS from an article in NCRB journal.
ncrb.gov.in/sites/default/…

More notings from MHA obtained under RTI
archive.org/details/icjsno…