India’s Goa to digitize police records with blockchain help

The police force of Goa, a state in western India, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with blockchain startup 5ire to adopt a blockchain-based record-keeping system.

While speaking to a local news outlet, the Times of India (TOI), Goa Superintendent of Police, SP Nidhin Valsan, said that the MoU is a step by the Goa Police to go paperless, as well as improve security and transparency to provide better policing services to citizens. 

“The MoU is for resource sharing so that using blockchain technology we can provide better policing services to citizens. As an initial phase, we will aim to make all our documents digitized. The ultimate aim will be to make Goa police paperless,” Valsan said.

The SP expects the digitization will be complete within a year. When completed, the system will allow any person to trace all old and new police records, including First Information Reports (FIRs) and day-to-day reports, online. 

Speaking on the MoU, a representative of 5ire said that the agreement will meet several goals for the Goa Police, including increasing efficiency and cutting costs. 

“One big overarching aim is to digitize Goa police, which will boost efficiency. It will be a big reduction in cost and will lend the department transparency. The second goal is to get all citizens to feel the transparency and we will be using the most advanced blockchain technology to save all records, which is more cost-effective,” the representative told TOI. 

5ire has previously partnered with the Muzaffarnagar Police in a similar endeavor and recently raised $100 million in a funding round. Similarly, the state of Goa has also been deploying blockchain technology in other public parastatals, including its Excise Department, which monitors liquor manufacturing and movement, according to a report. 

India adopting blockchain technology while clamping down on digital assets

Aside from states, India’s central government has also been exploring use cases for blockchain technology. India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), revealed that it is working with leading banks to launch a blockchain-based letter of credit (LC) issuance platform. 

The RBI has also given the go-ahead to four blockchain startups to deploy their cross-border payments solutions for importers and exporters to access foreign remittances easily. 

While India is embracing blockchain technology, its stance on digital assets has been a dismissive one. The government has warned on several occasions that digital assets pose peculiar risks and has introduced regulations to stifle investments in the market.

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