ANTI-TERROR SQUAD

NEWS  – Union Home Minister Amit Shah has urged States to adopt a uniform Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) structure designed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to strengthen coordinated counter-terrorism operations across India. He also launched two major national databases to enhance intelligence and law enforcement capabilities.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Common ATS Framework
  • Developed by NIA; shared with State Police forces
  • Ensures uniform preparedness, standard operating procedures, and synchronised response
  • Aims to eliminate siloed functioning among States
  • States encouraged to implement as early as possible
• New National Databases Launched
  • Organised Crime Network Database
  • Lost/Looted & Recovered Weapon Database
  • Databases to become core assets of ‘Zero-Terror Policy’
  • Helps track criminals with terror links and strengthen investigation frameworks

Need for a Common ATS

• Terror networks operate across States; fragmented systems weaken responses
• Enhances:
  • Inter-agency coordination
  • Intelligence sharing
  • Operational efficiency
• Facilitates national-level preparedness rather than isolated policing

Emphasis on Integrated Investigation

• Use of platforms such as:
  • NIDAAN (criminal profiling & intelligence)
  • NATGRID (integrated intelligence access)
• Prevents cases being probed “in isolation”
• Enables tracking of invisible terror linkages and organised crime nexus

Context and Significance

• Recent terror incidents like:
  • Pahalgam terror attack
  • Delhi car bomb blast
• Demonstrated need for watertight investigation and interlinking intelligence frameworks
• Organised crime and terror funding overlap — calls for 360-degree assault on organised networks