The recent approval from the Central government has marked the beginning of phase II of the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) project. Administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, this initiative is a significant milestone in reformatting the country’s criminal justice delivery system. This segment of the project, costing Rs 3,375 crore, will span from 2022-23 to 2025-26.
The Inception of the ICJS Project
The ICJS project traces its roots back to 2018 when a Supreme Court panel initiated a pilot project in Warangal district of Telangana. The essence of this project was to interconnect two integral pillars of the criminal justice delivery system – the courts and police stations.
Defining the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System
The ICJS is essentially a national platform designed for the integration of the main IT systems involved in the delivery of Criminal Justice in India. This project aims to bring the five pillars of the criminal justice system onto one platform, namely: Police (through Crime and Criminal Tracking and Network Systems), e-Forensics for Forensic Labs, e-Courts for Courts, e-Prosecution for Public Prosecutors, and e-Prisons for Prisons. By establishing this system on a safe, cloud-based infrastructure with rapid connectivity, the ICJS system is set to be accessible anywhere, anytime.
The Role of National Crime Records Bureau and National Informatics Centre
The onus of implementing this project falls on the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), which will work closely with the National Informatics Centre (NIC). The success of this project heavily relies on a collaborative effort with State and Union Territories.
Different Phases of the ICJS
During Phase-I of the project, individual IT systems were implemented and stabilized. A search feature was also incorporated into these systems. As we advance into Phase-II, the focus is on a ‘one data one entry’ principle. Data entered in one pillar will be accessible across all pillars, eliminating the need for re-entering the same data.
About the National Crime Records Bureau
Established under the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1986, the NCRB serves as a storehouse of information on crime and criminals. This bureau aids investigators in linking crimes to the respective criminal perpetrators. The NCRB was formed following the recommendations from the National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the MHA’s Task Force (1985). The annual ‘Crime in India’ report, published by the NCRB since 1953, is an essential resource for understanding the law and order scenario in the country. Recently, the inaugural function of the 2nd CCTNS Hackathon and Cyber Challenge 2020-21 of NCRB was conducted in New Delhi.
