A countrywide facial recognition system is in the pipeline for India and it is being heralded as one of the biggest in the whole world. The country is known for being highly populous and such a system is bound to help the low-staffed police force. The idea behind it is an effective facial recognition solution that works on a real-time basis to help nab criminals as and when they are spotted.

Using the footage from CCTVs that are spread across the length and breadth of India, this system will compare the data to the database stored with the law enforcement department. Once a certain profile is flagged, the perpetrator/suspect is nabbed immediately. Since all this will happen simultaneously, the chances of catching criminals will increase, thereby decreasing the crime rate.

Countries like China, who are known for adapting technical advancements in all aspects of governance, have been using facial recognition since a few years ago. From minor traffic violations to major crimes, if such a system is in place, it will be a boon to the Indian law enforcement team as a whole. It is with this intention that India has taken up such a big project.

Several IT companies were invited to send their proposals for completing the project. The last date for submission was 21st October and many major players have shown interest in the same. However, as with any crucial implementation, there are a few setbacks that are being projected for this initiative as well. As India does not have a devoted right that protects people’s privacy, it is being argued that if entities from other countries are given the contract to create this facial recognition system, it might prove to be a privacy threat for its citizens and a security threat for the country as a whole.

Several activists are of the opinion that there has to be a strict regulation in place so that the general public’s privacy/security is not exploited with this nation-wide phenomenon. It is believed to take approximately 2 years for the whole process to be integrated. In the interim, it is important that a few pertinent steps are taken to ensure safety and security to India from hackers and/or other countries.