Maharashtra: 1st state to adopt digital fingerprint and iris scanning system

Maharashtra became first state in the country to adopt an Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS) i.e. digital fingerprint and iris scanning system to help police investigations. This system will soon be replicated by police forces of other states in the country.

Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (AMBIS)

Composition: AMBIS unit comprises computer terminal, camera, and iris, fingerprint, and palm scanners. It also includes portable system to dust off and capture fingerprints from crime scenes.

It can be integrated with facial recognition from CCTV cameras that enables police to cross-reference and apart from solving fresh crimes it can even put faces to criminals whose fingerprints have been captured on paper for more than decades.

AMBIS is updated version of Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS), which has been used by Indian law enforcement agencies to search finger and palm prints. It will replace AFIS which has limited utility, providing only one-to-one fingerprint matches as compared multimodal matches possible with AMBIS.

It also matches standard requirements set by United States National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Implementation: Before its formal launch, system was introduced at selected Mumbai based police stations that have upgraded tech infrastructure like Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS). Now it will be rolled out in the 1,160 police stations, 7 police ranges, 10 central jails, 12 police training centres, and 4 fingerprint bureaus in Maharashtra.

Way forward: AMBIS adopted by Maharashtra Police will soon be replicated across country. State government is working with National Crime Records Bureau to create standards to be used by other state police forces.

Month: Current Affairs - August, 2019