We cannot even argue that advanced technology works elsewhere, but not in India. The cricket betting scandal was detected and the culprits nailed in India, not in any other place simply because the police used cell phone recordings intelligently. Given a good data base that can be easily accessed and an information exchange network, our police and intelligence productivity will go up enormously. They will have fewer false leads to chase and be able to act on recent information instead of relying on dated paper records and lucky recollections.

As we speak, Indian IT professionals and companies directly or indirectly are helping to install better systems and software for the police and intelligence agencies of a dozen countries. The US Department of Homeland Security is tapping into talent globally to make sure that their systems are robust and that their software is embedded with intelligent algorithms. And they are in a tearing hurry to get ahead and stay ahead of the terrorists. It is ironic that the individuals who are solving the problems of other countries are not being harnessed to help India deal with its problems.

Clearly, technology cannot solve anything. We can never forget the importance of human intelligence and any police official who does not cultivate a good set of informers has learned nothing about policing. But technology can make us more efficient. It can improve our ability in the first place to predict and pre-empt and in the next to intercept and finally to apprehend criminal gangs who are out to destroy our social fabric. My friend Vijay Mukhi is trying to lead a group of concerned professionals (techies and others) to try and convince our governments, both at the Centre and in the states, to wake up to the fact that our IT prowess can mean not only export revenues but could also be leveraged as a national competitive strategic advantage in the areas of policing and anti-terrorist actions. One can only hope that someone in remote Delhi (Delhi feels remote to me anyway) or at least closer home in our state capitals will listen and act. Let me just re-emphasise that it’s easy, affordable and do-able. Can we just do it?

... contd.