NATGRID Expansion: NPR Link and State Police Access
Why in the news
NATGRID is being linked to the National Population Register and opened to State police, reviving privacy and surveillance debates.
Key facts
- Built after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to end information silos.
- Secure middleware: stores nothing; authorised agencies query databases live.
- 21 dataset types: travel, bank, telecom metadata, identity, vehicle and property records.
- Data tiers: non-sensitive, sensitive, highly sensitive; AI does entity resolution and facial recognition.
Recent expansion
| Change | Effect |
|---|---|
| NPR link | Family-tree and household identity checks; about 119 crore residents |
| State police access (SP rank) | Routine Centre-State tool, beyond counter-terrorism |
| GANDIVA AI tool | Links KYC, vehicle and licence data; days to minutes; risk of automated errors |
Exam angle
- Earlier access: central agencies only.
- AI tool: GANDIVA.