CCTNS feeds into the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS). The latter covers e-courts, e-prisons, forensics and prosecution, leveraging know-how to make felony justice supply extra environment friendly. Other than a nationwide database of crime and criminals, CCTNS connects police stations and digitises FIR registration, investigation and cost sheets. In a broader sense, that is about higher e-governance.

The felony justice system is supposed to be a deterrent towards crime, punishing mala fide (and felony) acts and defending the bona fide. If a criminal offense is dedicated, this requires (a) investigation; (b) FIR; (c) a charge-sheet; (d) prosecution; and (e) profitable conviction. Of these 5, the final two should do with ICJS and the way in which courts work. But the opposite three hyperlinks should do with the police. There are weaknesses in every hyperlink and charges fluctuate, relying on the state and the character of crime. Figures are additionally a operate of the 12 months. Roughly, for IPC (Indian Penal Code) crimes, investigation charges are round 65 per cent. An investigation needn’t essentially result in an FIR or charge-sheet, however what occurs to the remaining 35 per cent? The Northeast has different points. For the remainder, if the investigation charge might be greater than 95 per cent in Gujarat, why is it nearly 45 per cent in Jharkhand? Charge-sheeting charges (as share of instances investigated) additionally fluctuate broadly throughout states. For IPC crimes, the all-India common is simply over 72 per cent. But, it may be over 90 per cent in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala and West Bengal, whereas it’s lower than 40 per cent in Assam.

For tax functions, India is now one nation, or might be, as soon as all oblique taxes change into a part of GST. The felony justice techniques must also be standardised, harmonised and built-in. After all, a citizen must be entitled to the identical degree of legislation and order, no matter residence. CCTNS is designed to realize that. There are round 17,000 police stations and greater than 97 per cent (a barely outdated determine, it might be larger now) have CCTNS software program and connectivity. What does one do with this? Digitise information, guarantee information migration, feed FIR registration into CCTNS, launch citizen portals and so forth. These are fascinating aims. However, simply as prefixing the letter “e” in e-governance doesn’t robotically enhance governance, the CCTNS software facilitates, however doesn’t robotically enhance police efficiency.

The Ministry of Home Affairs does an annual rating of police stations, based mostly on goal information (with an 80 per cent weight) and a survey-based evaluation (with 20 per cent weight). In 2022, Aska in Ganjam (Odisha) was ranked the perfect police station. CCTNS doesn’t enter the rating straight, although not directly, it does. The short-listing for a state (UT) is finished on the idea of CCTNS. If CCTNS isn’t used, there isn’t a probability of being short-listed. This is for police stations. Across states, there’s a separate Pragati dashboard on completely different elements of CCTNS – infrastructure, manpower and use of the database. Thus, 97 per cent of police stations might have been related to CCTNS, however the determine is 77 per cent for West Bengal (as of January 2022). Zero per cent of legacy information has migrated in Bihar.

There are causes for this variation amongst states – under-staffing (each vacancies and filling of vacancies) being one. Both police and prisons are within the State List of Seventh Schedule. In 2016, the MHA introduced out a mannequin jail guide. Many states haven’t adopted this and haven’t up to date their outdated jail manuals. What will e-Prisons obtain? For that matter, shouldn’t prisoners have entry to Aadhaar, for enrolment and upgradation? That makes jail administration simpler. Of course, Aadhaar can’t be made necessary, since being a prisoner can’t be interpreted as being a recipient of presidency welfare advantages. However, even when it’s not necessary, authentication by way of the voluntary use of Aadhaar has taken off in assorted providers. More broadly, the agenda of police reforms has been caught for years. Like the mannequin jail guide, nothing a lot emerged by way of Model Police Acts (Bills). We are distant from the rules of 1 nation – “one police” and “one prison”. In this facet of governance, if states belong to 2 completely different worlds, irrespective of how good a software CCTNS is, the advantages will fall quick.

The author is chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the PM. Views are private