National Technical Research Organisation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

National Technical Research Organisation
National Technical Research Organisation.svg
Agency overview
Formed2004; 17 years ago (2004)
HeadquartersNew Delhi, India
MottoLet noble thoughts come to me from all directions
Employees1,081
Annual budgetClassified
Minister responsible
  • Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India
Agency executive
Parent AgencyCabinet Secretariat
Websitentro.gov.in

The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) is a technical intelligence Agency[2] under the National Security Advisor in the Prime Minister's Office, India.[3] It was set up in 2004.[4]

It has the same “norms of conduct” as the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).[5][6]

History[]

The National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), originally known as the National Technical Facilities Organisation (NTFO), is a highly specialised technical intelligence gathering agency. While the agency does not affect the working of technical wings of various intelligence agencies, including those of the Indian Armed Forces, it acts as a super-feeder agency for providing technical intelligence to other agencies on internal and external security. The Group of Ministers (GOM) headed by then Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani had recommended the constitution of the NTFO as a state-of-the-art technical wing of intelligence gathering. Due to security concerns, the recommendation along with such other matters were not made public when the GOM report was published. The organisation does hi-tech surveillance jobs, including satellite monitoring, terrestrial monitoring, internet monitoring, considered vital for the national security apparatus. The NTRO would require over ₹700 crore (US$98 million) to procure different hi-tech equipment from specialised agencies around the globe to become fully functional. The officials have identified countries from where such gadgets could be procured but refused to reveal them due to 'security and other implications'. The Government had been working in this direction after the Kargil war in 1999 when the Subrahmanyam committee report pointed out weaknesses in intelligence gathering in the national security set up.[7] Sources said the road-map for constitution of the National Technical Facilities Organisation was prepared by Dr A P J Abdul Kalam in October 2001 when he was the Principal Scientific Adviser. It was subsequently mentioned in the Group of Ministers report on internal security.

In September 2013, Madhya Pradesh government allotted 180 hectares of land to set up the NTRO at Borda village near Bhopal.[8][9]

NTRO has been one of the most proactive members of US NSA-led 10-member counter-terrorism platform called SIGINT Seniors Pacific (SSPAC) for the last 10 years, a recent tranche of classified documents recently released by whistleblower Edward Snowden to a website suggests.[10]

Organization[]

The agency specializes in multipile disciplines, which include remote sensing, SIGINT, data gathering and processing, cyber security, geospatial information gathering, cryptology, strategic hardware and software development and strategic monitoring.[11]

The National Critical information Infrastructure Protection Centre, an agency under the control of National Technical Research Organisation, has been created to monitor, intercept and assess threats to crucial infrastructure and other vital installations from intelligence gathered using sensors and platforms which include satellites, underwater buoys, drones, VSAT-terminal locators and fiber-optic cable nodal tap points.

It also includes National Institute of Cryptology Research and Development (NICRD), which is first of its kind in Asia.[12]

NTRO operates from Technology Experiment Satellite(TES), Cartosat-2A, EMISAT and Cartosat-2B besides two Radar Imaging Satellites namely RISAT-1 & RISAT-2. [13] RISAT-2 was acquired from Israel at a cost $110 million and placed into orbit using a PSLV launcher in 2009

A joint NTRO - IAF team operates Very Long Range Tracking Radar (VLRTR) systems. VLRTR are used for Missile Monitoring and detection of spaceborne threats in aid of Ballistic Missile Defence. Accordingly, first VLRTR Unit was raised in 2017 and the system is operational.[14]

It also operates India's ocean surveillance ship named INS Dhruv, with Indian Navy.[15][16]

Activities[]

In December 2014, based on comint provided by NTRO, Indian Coast Guard intercepted a Pakistani fishing boat in Arabian Sea near Indo-Pakistan maritime boundary, approximately 365 km from Porbander. After few hours of chase and standoff, coast guard fired at the boat thus killing all the 4 occupants. Coast Guard officials stated that the occupants were terrorists and were on their way to undertake a 26/11-type attack.[17][18][19]

During the 2016 Line of Control strike, NTRO played an important role by providing Satellite intelligence to operational advisors and planners. Cartosat-2C, Cartosat-1, Resourcesat-2 satellites operated by NTRO, were used to provide the imagery of terrorist training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.[20]

During 2019 Balakot airstrike, NTRO also played an important role. NTRO surveillance confirmed 300 targets via active mobile connections in Markaz Syed Ahmad Shaheed training camp, just few days before IAF airstrike.[21]

Controversies[]

  • In September 2007, an article appeared in India Today detailing the difficulties faced by the NTRO, specifically how the other spying agencies of the Govt. of India are not allowing the NTRO to fulfill its duties.[22]
  • In February 2010, Indian Express reported that NTRO has become the first Indian Intelligence Agency to be audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) and an investigation by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC).[23]
  • In April 2010, an Outlook India article (issue dated 3 May 2010), detailed further the issues plaguing the organisation, chiefly the issues of nepotism, inefficiency and corruption amidst the telephone tapping scandal.[24]
  • In June 2011, Indian media broke the news that CAG has found that Israeli UAVs bought by NTRO in 2007 at the cost of ₹450 crore (US$63 million) was lying unused as the bundled satellite link purchased was not meant for dedicated military transmission, which would have made it vulnerable to electronic eavesdropping. An internal enquiry was ordered by PMO to find out if there has been a case of financial corruption.[25][26]
  • The Supreme Court of India, has ordered a probe into the allegations of financial irregularities in the procurement of military hardware. The lawsuit was filed by a whistleblower VK Mittal, who resigned as a senior scientist of NTRO and pursued initiatives to unmask the officers behind the ₹800 crore (US$110 million) scandals.[27] The court also observed that it might have to monitor the investigation, given the nature of allegations which point to systemic corruption in the procurement of surveillance equipment.[28] In later proceedings Supreme court of India clarified its stand on the progress of the investigation[29]
  • In September 2011, an article appeared in The Times of India about how the spy agency had to force an officer 'to quit in 2007 after he used counter-intelligence equipment, including a hidden camera, to bug the bathroom of its security and counter-intelligence director in NTRO headquarters in Delhi. The official was found guilty of placing a hidden, 'pin-hole' camera in the bathroom and linking it to his office computer. The bathroom, located on the second floor of the building, was used by not just the counterintelligence director Anil Malhotra but several other officials, including women staffers.' The incident came to light in September 2007 itself, but was hushed up.[30][31]
  • In August 2011, a whistleblower reported that NTRO has tapped 750,000 phones illegally. The matter was hushed up and no investigation was done.[32]
  • In April 2013, the department of electronics and information technology (DeitY) accused NTRO of cracking national informatics center (NIC) network.[33]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Anil Dhasmana is new chief of NTRO, spy agency that keeps an eye from the sky". Hindustan Times. 18 September 2020.
  2. ^ RS Bedi VrC (23 April 2015). "NTRO: India's Technical Intelligence Agency". Indian Defence Review. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  3. ^ Special Correspondent (6 May 2007). "Technical research agency planned in State". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 8 May 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  4. ^ Sandeep Unnithan (7 September 2007). "Spy versus spy". India Today. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  5. ^ Vijaita Singh (18 May 2017). "NTRO now under Intelligence Act". The Hindu. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  6. ^ Rahul Tripathy (18 May 2017). "National Technical Research Organisation to have same powers as IB, R&AW". The IndianExpress. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  7. ^ BHAVNA VIJ-AURORA (31 July 2008). "Dad's army versus terror Flop tag on tech trackers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  8. ^ "State govt allots land for NTRO in Borda village". in.com. 26 September 2013. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Madhya Pradesh allots 180 hectares of land to set up NTRO". indiatvnews.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  10. ^ Sanjib Kr Baruah (10 March 2018). "India joined US-led top secret alliance in 2008". The Asian Age. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  11. ^ "National tech research body to be housed in Hyderabad". The Hindu Business Line. 8 May 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  12. ^ Syed Amin (5 May 2007). "Top tech body to come up in Hyderabad". Rediff.com. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  13. ^ "'ISRO successfully launches 'spy satellite' RISAT-1'". ndtv. 26 April 2012.
  14. ^ "MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE FROM MAY 2014 TO PRESENT" (PDF).
  15. ^ Bedi, Rahul (27 July 2018). "India's ocean surveillance ship starts harbour trials". Jane's Information Group.
  16. ^ Manu Pubby (19 July 2018). "India to get own nuclear missile tracking ship in December". The EconomicTimes. India. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  17. ^ "How NTRO, Coast Guard stopped explosive-laden Pak ship". rediff.com. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  18. ^ "Terror' boat Live: People on Pakistani vessel were suspected terrorists, says Rajnath". First Post. 15 January 2015.
  19. ^ "4 feared killed as explosives-laden Pakistan vessel sinks off Gujarat". The Hindu. 6 January 2015.
  20. ^ "How This Satellite Created by ISRO Helped Indian Soldiers during the Surgical Strike". The Better India. 23 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Days before IAF bombed Jaish camp in Balakot, NTRO confirmed around 300 active targets in facility". India Today. 4 March 2019.
  22. ^ "Spy vs Spy". India Today. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  23. ^ "CAG to audit NTRO". Indian Express. 11 February 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  24. ^ "Who Monitors the Monitor?". Outlook India. 21 April 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2010.
  25. ^ "CAG unearths Rs 450 crore scam". GovernanceNow.com. 14 June 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  26. ^ "CAG nails RAW arm in Rs 450-cr UAV purchase scam – Rediff.com India News". Rediff.com. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  27. ^ "Court to probe into national research organisation Rs800 crore scam – India – DNA". Dnaindia.com. 17 August 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  28. ^ Nikhil Kanekal (16 August 2011). "SC wants explanation on NTRO scandal; issues notices to centre". Livemint. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  29. ^ "No more monitoring of probe into NTRO purchases: SC". The Times of India. 27 November 2012. Archived from the original on 6 December 2012.
  30. ^ "NTRO staffer booted out for loo snoop". The Times of India. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 6 November 2012. Retrieved 21 September 2011.
  31. ^ NTRO's ethical hackers to conquer China Archived 6 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "Did NTRO tap phones?". Times of India. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  33. ^ Singh, Ajmer (22 April 2013). "NTRO hacking email IDs of officials, says govt's IT dept". Indian Express. Retrieved 13 March 2021.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""