CONFERENCE ON HOMELAND SECURITY 2014

A Conference was organized at Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), New Delhi on July 24th and 25th, 2014 on ‘Homeland Security 2014: Safe and Secure Nation’. The theme of the conference was to provide a safe and secure environment and better public services to the people of our country. As a precursor, FICCI had conducted a national contest for students for submission of projects on ‘Strengthening the Policing Contest-2014- Safe City Design’. The first and second prize of this contest was bagged by students of Dronacharya Group of Institutions, Greater Noida. The two winning teams comprised of:

First Prize : D - Virus Way ( IT Branch)

1- Rajan Kumar

2-Mithesh Pant

3-Sadaf Noor

Second Prize : The Tech Maniacs ( IT Branch)

1-Hemendra Jha

2-Praveen Singh

3-Naveen

Advisor (R&D) Prof. TPN Singh and the two winning teams were invited by FICCI to attend the conference and receive certifications. The first prize winning team was asked to deliver a presentation on the concept of their project i.e. Safe City Design.

Homeland Security aspect puts pressure on the police force to respond swiftly, effectively and efficiently. Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) need to deploy appropriate technology to be able to analyze available data and counter challenges posed by limited resources. The state DGPs (Director General of Police) of various states were the honorable invitees and speakers in the program. The inaugural function comprised of:

1- Mr. J.N. Choudhury, IPS, Director General, NSG, GOI – Chief Guest.

2- Mr. G.K. Pillai- Former Union Home Secretary and chair, FICCI Homeland security committee.

3- Dr. Didar Singh- Secretary General FICCI.

4- Mr. Rahul Rishi – Partner, E&Y.

5-Mr. Sanjay Sahay – DGP, Police computer wing, Bangalore.

6-Dr. Vivek Lall - Co-chair, FICCI, Homeland Security Committee and CEO-New Ventures, Reliance Industries Ltd.

At the outset, Dr. Didar Singh greeted Mr. J.N .Choudhury, Chief Guest with a green certificate in place of the traditional bouquet. He said that the world is witnessing growth in organized crime and terrorism. A large number of criminal incidences are found to have complex interstate and international linkages. In order to meet the ever increasing demand of security, governments around the world have invested in developing intelligence analytics for security and policing. Given the advancement in Technology, the future of Homeland security lies in better use of analytics for pre-emptive policing. Mr. G.K. Pillai in his opening address emphasized the need of center state relationship. Training of police force is given a low priority in India unlike the western countries. Proper laboratories are not available for investigations. The fundamental issue is of recruitment of Police force.

This was followed by FICCIs release of E & Y Report

The technical sessions consisted of :

1- CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking network & Systems)

2- Analytics for pre-emptive policing

3- R & D for effective and sustainable security

CCTNS aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing. A nationwide networked infrastructure for evolution of IT enabled state of the art tracking system is under progress.

Use of analytics is to be incorporated for prevention and response to crime. Existing video systems are getting integrated with sophisticated computer algorithms and analytic layer to process large volumes of real time video data. The session showcased technologies used in analytic for pre-emptive policing.

Technology is a force multiplier and there is a need to develop products specifically for internal security arrangements. The equipment catering to security is either not available or too expensive to procure. R & D is a necessity.

After, the technical sessions, Rajan Kumar and his team were invited on the stage and felicitated. Rajan Kumar gave presentation on his prize winning project, “D-VIRUS WAY”. The presentation drew huge applause and appreciation from the distinguished guests and audience. 

Session on 25th July, 2014covered the following aspects:

1- Growth and need of cyber security for securing homeland

2- Ensuring fair and transparent procurement for internal security solutions

IT has exposed user to enormous data. It has also added potential vulnerabilities with increasing number of disruptions in the cyber domain. The session explored ways and means to secure the country’s cyber space. There is a big problem in the process of resource mobilization and up gradation in the security sector. The demand for modernization of the security sector has increased dramatically. The requirements for modern equipment are huge ranging from surveillance items to internal security products. The discussion moved beyond “lowest cost selection” and also standardizing the process for specifications of items for procurement.

The conference ended on an optimistic note and the chairperson thanked one and all for their gracious presence and participation.