India building world’s biggest face recognition system

Published October 20, 2019
India is trying to build the world’s biggest facial recognition system to immediately det­ect a suspect, says an official announcement released to the international media. —  Reuters via News18
India is trying to build the world’s biggest facial recognition system to immediately det­ect a suspect, says an official announcement released to the international media. — Reuters via News18

WASHINGTON: India is trying to build the world’s biggest facial recognition system to immediately det­ect a suspect, says an official announcement released to the international media.

The proposed database the Automated Facial Recognition System, aims to “modernise … information gathering, criminal identification, verification and its dissemination” across the country.

India has asked IT companies across the world to send their proposals to the National Crime Record Bureau in New Delhi.

India hopes that the project would enable law enforcement agencies in its 29 states and seven union territories to access a single, centralised database.

A detailed 172-page document published by the bureau says that the system would match images from India’s growing network of CCTV cameras against a database of mug-shots of criminals, passport photos and images collected by various government agencies.

The document says that the new facial recognition platform “can play a very vital role in improving outcomes” when it comes to identifying criminals, missing persons and bodies. It will also help police forces “detect crime patterns” and aid in crime prevention, it adds.

According to a survey conducted in 2018, the crime rate in India is high, particularly in large urban centres.

As of 2016, Delhi had the highest cognizable crime rate of 974.9 (per 100,000 persons) and Uttar Pradesh had the highest incidence of crime based on percentage of share.

In 2016, there were 709.1 offences per 100,000 people in 19 big cities, compared to the national average of 379.3.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.