NEW DELHI: Ten months after a controversial move to merge the National Crimes Records Bureau (
NCRB) with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (
BPRD), the Centre has overturned its decision and de-merged the two organisations.
The ministry of home affairs has, in fact, referred the matter to the Madhukar Gupta Committee for examination and advice on the merger of central research and data collection organisations.
MHA had, in August 2017, merged the two organisations for better research and data collection related to crimes, police, paramilitary forces etc.
NCRB, which, over the years, has been the principal source of reference by policy makers, police, criminologists, researchers and media – both in India and abroad, was not happy with the decision.
BPRD was given charge of NCRB on the ground that there should be more research based and methodological data collection in future as data collection by NCRB as of now was mostly taken from states and is sometimes inaccurate.
It was felt that if the researchers of BPR&D, which conducts its own research and commissions many to private institutes/bodies to study the crime patterns, policing and other related aspects, and statisticians of NCRB work together, there will be more accurate and research-based data collection, said the sources.
NCRB had complained to the MHA at that time that its officers were not taken into confidence before taking the decision.
The de-merger has been done for the time being till the Madhukar Gupta Committee suggests a proper solution, said an MHA officer.
The NCRB was established in 1986 with a mandate to empower Indian police with information technology solutions and
criminal intelligence to enable them to enforce the law effectively.
It also compiles data on crimes, prosecutions, traffic related prosecutions, and prisons, suicides etc and its annual report were extensively globally to present India’s crime figures. The primary crime collection bureau also has the database of all the fingerprints in India and also plays a role in capacity building for government’s ambitious project - Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (CCTNS).
NCRB’s data on crimes against women, particularly rapes, has shaped government’s policies on the safety of women in last few years, especially after December 16, 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape case.
Officials say that BPR&D, which was constituted in 1966 to directly participate in police functions and suggest reforms, and NCRB will now jointly foster partnership with universities, researchers, NGOs and public to have robust data on crime, police, courts and prisons.