The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, inaugurated the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) on August 17, 2022. It was launched during the two-day National Security Strategies (NSS) Conference 2022, conducted in New Delhi.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) developed the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS). It is expected that NAFIS would help in the quick and easy disposal of cases with the help of criminals’ fingerprints. In April 2022, Madhya Pradesh became the first state to implement the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) to identify a deceased person.
What is the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS)?
The NAFIS is a pan-India searchable database of crime and criminal-related fingerprints. It is managed by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) at the Central fingerprint bureau, based in New Delhi.
The main objective of the web-based application is to collect fingerprint data of all the criminals from all the states and the Union Territories.
History of the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System
It was not the first time that any fingerprint scheme had been launched. In 1986, on the recommendation of the National Police Commission (NPC), the Central Fingerprint Bureau (CFB) began to automate the fingerprint database.
The initiative was launched as a scheme-type Fingerprint Analysis and Criminal Tracing System (FACTS) in 1992. The latest amendment was the 5th Fingerprint Analysis and Criminal Tracing System (FACTS 5.O), launched in 2007.
After 11 years, a report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) stated that FACTS 5.Os are required to be replaced with time by the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS).
The Working Process of NAFIS
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) enables law enforcement agencies to upload, trace, and retrieve data from the database. The process is quick, and the agency should not take more than 24 hours.
Within 24 hours, NAFIS provides a unique 10-digit National Fingerprint Number (NFN) to each criminal who is arrested for the crime. The unique ID will be used for the criminal’s lifetime.
The last step would be registering the detailed crime under a different FIR. Later, the FIR will be linked through the National Fingerprint Number (NFN). The first two digits of the Unique ID will be the state code where the criminal was arrested for the crime.
Apart from this, a digital record will be added as storage to match the fingerprints in the future.
What are the benefits of using the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS)?
1. Quick
The whole process will start with the digitalisation of the fingerprint. The data will be stored in a proper file for the criminal. It is a quick process which does not require much time. It will be linked to the new FIR with a unique 10-digit number.
2. It’s easy to manage
Enabling the fingerprint of the criminal in the report is very easy. The officers are perfectly trained in handling fingerprints. The linkage of the fingerprint with the First Information Report (FIR) will keep the data for a long time.
3. Unique Identification Number:
In saving the criminal’s fingerprint, a 10-digit unique ID will be provided or stored for the criminal’s lifetime. It will be further linked to the different FIRs. No middleman can crack or indulge in the 10-digit unique fingerprint number.
