National Investigation Agency

Why is in news? Explosion on railway track in Udaipur, Rajasthan; NIA & other agencies investigate

In Rajasthan, an explosion occurred on a railway track in Udaipur, hours before the recently inaugurated Asarwa-Udaipur Express train from Ahmedabad was supposed to pass.

National Investigation Agency:

Over the past several years, India has been the victim of large scale terrorism sponsored from across the borders.

The Government after due consideration and examination of the issues involved, proposed to enact a legislation to make provisions for establishment of a National Investigation Agency in a concurrent jurisdiction framework, with provisions for taking up specific cases under specific Acts for investigation.

Accordingly the NIA Act was enacted on 31-12-08 and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) was born. At present NIA is functioning as the Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency in India.

The NIA is the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency of India mandated to investigate all the offences affecting the sovereignty, security and integrity of India.

It includes: Friendly relations with foreign states, Against atomic and nuclear facilities, Smuggling of arms, drugs and fake Indian currency and infiltration from across the borders.

The offences under the statutory laws enacted to implement international treaties, agreements, conventions and resolutions of the United Nations, its agencies and other international organisations.

The agency is empowered to deal with the investigation of terror related crimes across states without special permission from the states under written proclamation from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Headquarters - New Delhi

Jurisdiction:

The law under which the agency operates extends to the whole of India and also applies to Indian citizens outside the country.

Persons in the service of the government wherever they are posted.

Persons on ships and aircraft registered in India wherever they may be.

Persons who commit a scheduled offence beyond India against the Indian citizen or affecting the interest of India.