AUTOMATED MULTI-MODAL BIOMETRIC IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM (AMBIS)

Aug. 1, 2019

Maharashtra became the first state to adopt a digital fingerprint and iris scanning system to aid police investigations.

About:

Name of the system: The Automated Multi-modal Biometric Identification System (or AMBIS).
Adopted by: Maharashtra Police.
Components: An AMBIS unit comprises a computer terminal, a camera, and iris, fingerprint, and palm scanners. It also includes a portable system to dust off and capture fingerprints from crime scenes.
Working: With the integration of the system with facial recognition from CCTV cameras, AMBIS enables the police to cross-reference and put faces to criminals whose fingerprints have been captured on paper over the decades, apart from solving fresh crimes.
Background: Indian authorities first thought of digitising fingerprints in 2015 when they were trying to gain custody of gangster Chhota Rajan in Indonesia.
Way ahead: The AMBIS adopted by the Maharashtra Police will soon be replicated across the country, with the state government working with the National Crime Records Bureau to create standards to be used by other state police forces.