UPSC Articles
Multi Agency Centre (MAC)
Part of: Prelims and GS-III -Security
Context The Union government has asked the States to share more intelligence inputs through the Multi Agency Centre (MAC).
- It is a common counter-terrorism grid under the Intelligence Bureau that was made operational in 2001 following the Kargil War.
- As many as 28 organisations, including the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), armed forces and State police, are part of the platform.
- Various security agencies share real-time intelligence inputs on the MAC.
About the Centre
- MAC was formed in December 2001 following the Kargil intrusion and the subsequent overhaul of the Indian national security apparatus suggested by the Kargil Review Committee report and GoM report.
- Accordingly, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) was authorized to create a multi-agency centre (MAC) in New Delhi.
- Now functioning 24/7 as the nodal body for sharing intelligence inputs, MAC coordinates with representatives from numerous agencies, different ministries, both central and state.
- As noted in a 2016 parliamentary report the major contributors of intelligence inputs to the MAC were the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).
