National Crime Records Bureau

The National Crime Records Bureau, established in 1986, is an organisation under the Ministry of Home Affairs that serves as India’s central repository of crime and criminal information. Its mandate combines crime statistics, police information technology, fingerprint services and capacity building for law-enforcement agencies.

Crime statistics and research

NCRB collects, compiles and analyses administrative data supplied by States and Union Territories. It standardises crime-data classifications and disseminates national statistics for policing, research and policy formulation.

• Its principal publications include Crime in India, Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India and Prison Statistics India.
• Its statistics cover registered crimes, arrests, victims, accidental deaths, suicides and prison administration, subject to the scope of each report.

Police information systems

NCRB is the central nodal agency for implementing the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems, which connects police stations and facilitates searchable crime and criminal databases. It also supports information exchange among criminal-justice institutions through the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System.

• It provides national-level digital platforms and technical coordination to improve investigation, citizen services and inter-state information sharing.

Fingerprint services and training

The Central Finger Print Bureau functions under NCRB as the national-level centre for fingerprint records, examination and coordination. NCRB also trains police personnel in crime records, fingerprints, data analysis and related information technologies.

• NCRB is primarily a records, statistics and technical-support institution; investigation and registration of offences remain functions of the competent police agencies.
• Its figures are based mainly on reported and registered administrative records, so they should not automatically be treated as the complete incidence of crime.