Origin
Background
Priorities of the Police have changed to maintenance of law and order, check of Militant and Organised Criminal Gangs, maintenance of VIP Security and Handle Dharna and Rallies by Trade Union and Political Party. Rate of Crime have increased and activities of Criminal has widened due to use of better communication system and transport. There is neither staff nor time for maintenance of Crime Records manually. Harnessing and exchange of Information on Criminal operating in neighbouring Police Stations, Districts and State has become next to impossible. The need was felt to do away this manual maintenance of records and manual sharing of information on the Crime & Criminal of Inter-District and Inter-State nature. The computerization and computer network of Crime Criminal records and the Police Computer Network was considered only viable alternative.
Creation of NCRB (Notification)
(Resolution) 
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Crime records play a vital role in the scheme of police working for prevention and detection of crime. The Indian Police, over the years, have sought to improve the efficiency of the crime records systems to discharge their responsibilities with greater efficiency and effectiveness. Though, police is a State subject under the Indian constitution, the Central Government through the Ministry of Home Affairs has been assisting and aiding the States in the modernization of the State Police Forces with the financial aid and through the constitution of Study Groups, Committees and formation of central organizations to help States fight the menace of crime more effectively. Some of the important milestones towards this directions are:
Indian Police Commission - 1902
This Commission, for the first time, introduced standard police forms and registers for information documentation at the level of Police Station and District which were uniformly adopted throughout the country.
Central Finger Print Bureau, Calcutta - 1956.
This Bureau used to maintain finger print slips of convicted criminals of all the States to facilitate exchange of information on inter-state criminals on the basis of finger print records.
Inter-State Crime Records Division in CBI - 1964.
Apart from maintaining conviction records of criminals in the CFPB, a new set up was made responsible for collection and dissemination of information on selected crime and criminals having inter-state ramifications.
DIG, CID Conference - 1970.
A sub committee was set up by this Conference to look into the feasibility of computerization of crime records in view of the growing volume of information collected at various centers. The sub committee recommended computerization of crime records with detailed modalities thereof.
Home Ministry's Scheme for Modernisation of State Police Forces - 1970.
The Ministry of Home Affairs formulated a Rs. 100 crores scheme for rendering financial aid to the States for modernization of police forces. Under this scheme Rs. 10 crores were to be disbursed to all the States annually on pro-rata basis, of which 50% was a grant and 50% loan recoverable in easy installments. Modernisation of crime records through computerization based on the recommendations of the DIsG CID Conference was included in this scheme in the year 1975-76. This scheme was extended by another 10 years period.
Sub Committee on Computerisation of Finger Prints - 1972.
The sub-committee analysed the process of finger print classification, evolved a new system of classification so as to admit of computerization of finger print records and made recommendations for adoption of this strategy for computerization of fingerprints.
Directorate of Coordination Police Computers (DCPC) - 1976.
In order to implement the modernisation scheme in respect of crime and finger print records in the States, this organization was set up to introduce computer based systems in the States and assist the States in procurement and installation of computers and implementation of Crime-Criminals Information System.
Study Group on Computerisation of Crime Records - 1976.
The study group was set up to make recommendations for appropriate strategies and modalities of computerizations of crime records keeping in view the latest technological developments in the field of Electronic Data Processing and telecommunications.
National Police Commission - 1977.
The Commission was set up to look into all aspects of policing in the country and make recommendations with a view to bring about the required organizational, procedural and cultural changes in the State Police to bring it in tune with the national aspirations of a democratic and welfare State.
Committee on Crime Records - 1978.
The Committee was set up to review the existing crime records and associated procedures and to recommend changes with a view to enable the police forces to meet the present day requirements of crime and criminal information.
Accepting the recommendations of the National Police Commission - 1977, the Ministry of Home Affairs constituted a Task Force in 1985 to work out the modalities for setting up of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The Government accepted the recommendations of the Task Force and constituted the NCRB with headquarters at New Delhi in January, 1986
As per the government Resolution dated 11.3.1986 the following objectives were set for the NCRB:
- To function as a clearing house of information on crime and criminals including those operating at National and International levels so as to assists the investigators, and others in linking crimes to their perpetrators.
- To store, coordinate and disseminate information on inter-state and international criminals from and to respective States, national investigating agencies, courts and prosecutors in India without having to refer to the Police Station records.
- To collect and process crime statistics at the National level.
- To receive from and supply data to penal and correctional agencies for their tasks of rehabilitation of criminals, their remand, parole, premature release etc.
- To coordinate, guide and assist the functioning of the State Crime Records Bureaux
- To provide training facilities to personnel of the Crime Records bureaux, and
- To evaluate, develop and modernise crime Records Bureaux
- Executive and develop computer based systems for the Central Police Organisations - and also cater to their data processing and training needs for computerization.
- To function as the National storehouse of fingerprint (FP) records of convicted persons including FP records of foreign criminals.
- To help trace inter state criminals by fingerprint search.
- To advise Central and State Governments on matters related to fingerprints and footprints, and to conduct training courses for finger print experts.
As a first step towards streamlining of the system of crime-criminal information management at the Centre, the Ministry of Home Affairs merged the following crime records establishments of various Central Police Organisations with the NCRB:
- Directorate of Coordination Police Computers (MHA)
- Inter-State Criminals Data set up of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
- Crime Statistics set up of the Bureau of Police Research and Development
- Central Finger Print Bureau, Calcutta of the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Further on the recommendations of the Director, NCRB, the Government sanctioned 316 posts of various levels and approved in principle procurement of Computer Systems at a cost of Rs. 2 crores approx. for the NCRB.The NCRB really started work according to its new charter with the posting of a Director along with a token supporting staff of 5 personnel in January, 1986. While the NCRB was taking shape with the merger of various crime record establishments between February 1986 to April, 1988, a comprehensive proposal of the NCRB for manpower and equipment was finally approved by the Ministry in August, 1987. NCRB has a total sanctioned strength of 451, as on date. The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS) is a plan scheme conceived in the light of experience of an earlier scheme namely - Common Integrated Police Application (CIPA).