NATIONAL INVESTIGATION AGENCY (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Security)

Context: Recently, India's Home Minister, speaking at a two-day anti-terror conference in New Delhi organized by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), called for the establishment of a Model Anti-terrorism Structure under NIA's supervision.

National Investigation Agency (NIA)

• About: NIA is India's primary Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.
• It operates under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Establishment: NIA was established in response to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks through the National Investigation Agency Act 2008.
• Jurisdiction: NIA has the authority to investigate and handle terrorism-related crimes across Indian states without requiring special permission from the states.

oState Governments can request the Central Government to transfer cases to NIA if they involve offenses listed in the NIA Act's schedule.

• NIA Special Courts: Special Courts designated for NIA cases are established by the Indian government.

oThese courts are presided over by judges appointed by the Central Government based on the recommendation of the respective Chief Justice of the High Court for the region.

• Headquarters:News Delhi.
• Branches: Hyderabad, Guwahati, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, Kolkata, Raipur, Jammu, Chandigarh, Ranchi, Chennai, and Imphal.