17-May-2017: NTRO staff to follow secrecy norms like IB

National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), the Central agency looking after technical surveillance, will now be bound by secrecy norms just like Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Research & Analyses Wing (RAW), with its staff restricted from speaking about the structure and functioning of the organisation.

In this regard, the Home Ministry has issued a notification listing NTRO under The Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985, a demand being made by the organisation for over a decade now. The inclusion of NTRO in the Schedule under the Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985 will insulate it from answering queries under the Right to Information Act. The agency can decline RTI queries on its structure, functioning, personnel and organisation affairs by invoking Section 6 of the Act.

Under Section 6 of the Intelligence Organisations (Restriction of Rights) Act, 1985, no member of a scheduled intelligence agency can communicate with the press or publish or cause to be published any book, letter, pamphlet, poster or other document except with the prior permission of the head of the intelligence organisation. The member also cannot use the name of his organisation for purposes not authorised by the head or in any other manner except for purposes relating to the official work and functioning of the organisation itself.

Any person who contravenes the aforesaid provisions will be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to Rs 2,000 or with both.

The NTRO was created after the 1999 Kargil conflict as a dedicated technical intelligence agency. It has been fighting tooth and nail to get included in the list as it has the right to lawfully intercept and monitor communications externally. It reports to the PMO and the NSA.