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The Union Home Minister launched the Abhigyan App in New Delhi to strengthen technology-driven policing and improve real-time access to criminal records for law enforcement agencies across the country.

What is the Abhigyan App?

The Abhigyan App is a centralized mobile platform developed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to enable police personnel to access and utilize crime-related data efficiently in the field. It aims to enhance investigation, identification of criminals, and evidence-based policing by providing instant access to a nationwide database of criminal records.

The application forms part of the Government's broader initiative to modernize policing through digital technologies and integrated criminal information systems.

Key Features

The app enables field-level police personnel to securely access a vast repository of criminal records directly through their smartphones, reducing dependence on manual verification.

Its major features include:

• Real-time fingerprint identification linked to a centralized national database.
• Two-step authentication to ensure secure access.
• Fast identification of suspects with high portability and ease of use.
• Access to millions of criminal records from a single platform.

During the demonstration, fingerprints were successfully matched with the national database in approximately 35 seconds, enabling quicker identification during investigations.

Link with NAFIS

The Abhigyan App is integrated with the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS), India's centralized fingerprint database.

NAFIS stores the fingerprint records of accused persons, convicts, and prison inmates on a unified digital platform, enabling rapid identification and seamless sharing of fingerprint data among law enforcement agencies across the country.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) was established in 1986 as the national repository of crime and criminal-related information. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and is headquartered in New Delhi.

The Bureau was established based on the recommendations of:

• Tandon Committee
• National Police Commission (1977–1981)
• Task Force of the Ministry of Home Affairs

NCRB is responsible for maintaining national crime databases, supporting criminal justice administration, and developing technology-driven policing solutions such as NAFIS and the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS).