The country has got its first dedicated anti-terror body, the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), with the government passing an executive order to operationalise the NCTC from March 1.
The body, which will function under the Intelligence Bureau, has been given its own operational wing with powers to arrest and conduct searches under Section 43A of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The NCTC has been empowered to requisition the NSG or any other specialised force in the country it deems necessary for anti-terror operations.
Though National Counter Terrorism Centre will initially be part of the IB, the government has kept the option open of evolving NCTC into a separate statutory body.
At present the NCTC unit is to be headed by a director of the rank of additional director-general with three units — gathering intelligence, analysis of intelligence and carrying out operations — each to be headed by an IB joint director. While the “core staff” will be drawn from the IB, the National Counter Terrorism Centre will have officers on deputation from other agencies, such as RA&W, JIC, NTRO, DIA, DGMI, Directorates of Air and Naval Intelligence, Central Economic Intelligence Bureau, CBDT, Central Board of Excise and Customs and the Narcotics Control Bureau.