Following increasing incidents of terrorists strikes and bomb blasts in different corners of the country, India has set up a Multi-Agency Centre and Joint Task Force on Intelligence in its domestic spying agency, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) at Delhi.

Indian intelligence officials hope that setting up the Multi-Agency Centre and Joint Task Force on Intelligence at the IB will optimize intelligence flow and coordination between multifarious agencies at the Centre and in the States in the field of counter-terrorism and counter-intelligence.

India has a profusion of spying agencies like Research and Analysis Wing (external spy agency), IB and Defence Intelligence Agency that often work at cross-purposes and have a poor record of cooperation.

The plan is for the Multi-Agency Centre and Joint Task Force on Intelligence to be supported by Subsidiary Multi-Agency Centres at almost all State capitals.

Indian politicians say that steps have been taken to strengthen counter-intelligence apparatus in the Intelligence Bureau.

The States have been directed to take the following steps to revamp the Special Branches:

* by filling up of vacancies and posting of competent officers in Special Branches
* making mandatory tenure preferably of 5 years for personnel in Special Branches and linkage of this requirement with promotion
* using system of incentives/disincentives
* having dedicated staff for intelligence work right up to the police stations level and re-activating beat constable system
* making available modern equipment and gadgets for interception
* offering special training for personnel posted in Special Branches
* earmarking of up to 5% of their annual allocations under the Scheme for Modernisation of State Police Forces for strengthening of Special Branches.