Evolution of AI in Indian Policing and Surveillance: An Analysis

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-547-8_16How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence; Policing; Surveillance; Facial Recognition Technology; Predictive Policing; Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS); Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)

Abstract

The adoption of the concept of artificial intelligence (AI) in policing and surveillance strategies has radically changed the way law enforcement is conducted in India over the last ten years. In this paper, the author will trace the development, implementation, and regulation of AI-enabled policing technologies in the Indian criminal justice system with a specific focus on data-oriented infrastructures like the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) and the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS). Based on the official government programme briefs, procurement documents, statutory frameworks, and constitutional jurisprudence, the work charts the proliferation of technologies such as the facial recognition systems, predictive crime analytics, drone-based surveillance, and open-source intelligence tools.

The paper is a critical assessment of such technological implementation in relation to the constitutional provisions of Articles 14, 19, and 21 in India, in particular considering the alternative of the Supreme Court ruling of Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) of the right to privacy. v. Union of India. It sheds light on systematic issues regarding the lack of privacy, informational autonomy, algorithmic discrimination, due process, and the chilling effect of democratic liberties following extensive surveillance. The review concludes that AI-led policing has made the policing process more efficient and coordinated, although the administration structure is rather disjointed and opaque, and lacks transparency, accountability, and oversight. The paper ends with a call to act promptly to establish a specific regulatory framework to oversee the use of AI in policing with a statutory authorisation, proportionality protection, audits of algorithms, and effective grievance-redress mechanisms to maintain a balanced approach of technological development towards constitutional values.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Download article (PDF)

TY  - CONF
AU  - Saumya Baranwal
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/05
TI  - Evolution of AI in Indian Policing and Surveillance: An Analysis
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Socio Legal Intricacies of Artificial Intelligence (ICSLIAI 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 131
EP  - 139
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-547-8_16
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-547-8_16
ID  - Baranwal2026
ER  -