Now, call for central intelligence agency

After the creation of the National Investigation Agency to combat terror post-26/11, a Parliamentary panel recommended setting up of a federal intelligence agency to make the intelligence-gathering machinery more efficient, reports Rahul Singh.

After the creation of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to combat terror post-26/11, a Parliamentary panel on Tuesday
recommended setting up of a federal intelligence agency to make the intelligence-gathering machinery more efficient.

HT Image

The proposed agency would be on the lines of the NIA that has concurrent jurisdiction empowering the Centre to probe terror attacks anywhere in the country.

Expressing “grave concern” over the lack of coordination among various intelligence agencies, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence said the intelligence-gathering network of the armed forces should also come under the FIA to leverage intelligence more effectively.

The military depends heavily on the Research and Analysis Wing and the Intelligence Bureau to plan its operations as its own intelligence-gathering system has limited capabilities and resources. It is mostly restricted to the collection of tactical military intelligence and some signal intelligence. The setting up of the Defence Intelligence Agency after Kargil has to some extent fine-tuned the coordination among the three defence services.

In a report on the Status of Implementation of Unified Command for Armed Forces, tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the committee said valuable lives were lost in the Kargil war and Mumbai terror strikes due to intelligence lapses.

The lack of synergy among intelligence agencies was the recurring theme of the Kargil Review Committee (KRC), which recommended measures necessary to safeguard national security after the war. But 26/11 showed not much had changed.