https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Forest Offense Cases To Reach To A Logical End With This Technology 

Indian Masterminds Stories

Controlling wildlife and forest-related crime is essential for conservation. If offenders are not in prison and cases are still ongoing in various courts, no amount of effort can help conserve the species and our forest.

The conviction rates in forest cases are certainly poor if compared to other types of criminal offenses. To fight this issue through innovation and technology, the Karnataka Forest Department has launched a cloud-based information management system known as Garudakshi in the state.

The system is inspired by the HAWK (Hostile Activity Watch Kernel) of Kerala. The Karnataka Forest Department’s Information and Communication Technology cell (ICT), headed by Mr. Biswajit Mishra, has customized it according to the state’s needs with the help of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). 

The officers are getting trained to operate the system

Module 1 of this system, which deals with legacy cases (those that did not reach their logical conclusion and are still pending in multiple courts), has been implemented across the state. Module 2 for live cases is now in the pilot stage and is planned to be implemented by the end of June this year. It is being tested in the Shivmoga and Belgavi forest divisions.

Indian Masterminds reached out to the Chief Wildlife Warden Of Karnataka, Mr. Subhash Malkhede, and Range Forest Officer (ICT) Ms. Lekhadarshini, to understand this system and how it will help in monitoring all aspects of forest and wildlife crime. 

Subash Malkhede, Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka

“The Garudakshi won’t only help in managing & monitoring forest offences across the state but it will also help in getting conviction & conclusion of various pending cases”, said Mr. Malkhede to IM.

HOW IT STARTED 

Garudakshi is not an exact replica of HAWK but is inspired by it. To develop it for Karnataka, the officers of the IT cell studied the HAWK systems, went through complete CrPc, and visited the Karnataka Police Department, as they already have a well-established Crime Monitoring system called Criminal & Crime Tracking System. 

After this initial process, it was realized that a lot of customization would be required and all the procedures as per the CRP needed to be built. 

MODULE 1 & MODULE 2 

One of the main purposes of this software is to record all the forest cases and plug in all the procedural updates to those cases. This will allow a systematic approach to dealing with the offense and getting justice.

Module 1 of Garudakshi deals with legacy cases that are concurrent and pending. All the data related to these cases is being digitized. “100% of cases are not digitized yet, but the maximum is done. We have asked our range officers, who are the first responders, to enter all the details,”  said Ms. Lekhadarshini.

It has made it easy to understand what kinds of cases (encroachment, poaching, timber, or confiscation) are pending. At what stage are they, and what are the procedures followed at each step? 

Bishwajit Mishra lead ICT (Forest Department Karnataka)

Module 2, which deals with live cases, is in the pilot stage. When any new offense or case comes, all the information needs to be digitized. “If there is any seizure (vehicle or any artifact), that needs to be mentioned. The search warrant, court memos, and medical check-up of the offender, if he or she is apprehended, will all be put together in the Garudakshi system,” said the range officer. 

They have chosen Shivmoga for the pilot project as all types of forest crimes are reported in that division. 

DIFFERENCE FROM KERALA’S HAWK 

Garudakshi is an improvised version of HAWK made specially for the state of Karnataka. While Hawk only deals with wildlife offenses, Garudakshi will record all kinds of forest-related offenses, be it illicit falling of trees, encroachment of forest land, smuggling of timber, etc. According to the officers, it will be a comprehensive forest offense management system, and everything will be fully automated. 

THE IMPACT 

Till now, Karnataka doesn’t have any IT systems that not only record the details but also help in the deposition of the cases. Earlier, when any offense was registered, an FIR was filed. Even though there were procedural labs, people would still oversee a few things due to a lack of knowledge, leading to loss in many cases. 

Ms. Lekhadarshini claims that not everyone understands the situations and the procedures that must be followed. Garudakshi maintains a database of legacy cases from each category. This will let the officer register the cases and place them in the appropriate areas. This software also includes a digital forest infraction register, which simplifies the job of field staff.

They will be guided in each step, so the scope of overlooking things will be minimized. Garudakshi will also help in maintaining a case diary by the investigating officer. After he or she puts in the details, the case diary will be automatically generated. 

The best part of Garudakshi is its dashboard. The information is accessible to everyone in the forest department, from the lowest to the highest ranks. They can examine what types of cases are there, whether there is a delay in any given case, and if somebody is in detention, who provided the authorization. In special circumstances, such as ivory smuggling, it will walk them through all of the unique laws and regulations that must be followed.

Besides that, each case takes a long time to conclude. Meanwhile, the main investigating officer can be transferred, and his entire legacy can be forwarded to someone else. If that officer is one of the witnesses, then he can always know about the updates in that case with the help of this software and can depose when needed. No extra effort will be needed for that. 

Garudaskhi will also have a database of the modus operandi of each offense and will soon be integrated with the offender database of police (state & nation). This will make it easier to find out if the offender is a history-sheeter or not.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
UPSC Image IAS IPS IFS
UPSC CSE-2024 Results Out: Top 2 Places Bagged By Girls, Shakti Dubey AIR 1, Check Details Here
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
Bhuwan Chandra Pathak to Continue as Director (Finance) at NPCIL - Know More About him
coal-India limited
Coal India Signs MoU with DVC to Set Up ₹16,500 Crore Ultra Supercritical Power Plant in Jharkhand
delhi-government-resized
Delhi Government Revises Office Timings as Pollution Levels Drop
indian-forest-service IFS Officers
Court Denies Anticipatory Bail to Former IFS Officer in SRLM Scam
psuwatch_import_wp-content_uploads_2022_02_RBI-recruitment-2019
Minors Above 10 Can Now Open and Operate Bank Accounts Independently: RBI
Inter caste marriage promotion scheme
Inter-Caste Marriage Promotion Scheme: Financial Aid of Rs 2.5 Lakh Granted to Two Couples
KVIC Khadi and Village Industries
Khadi and Village Industries Achieve Historic Growth, Sales Cross ₹1.70 Lakh Crore in 2024-25
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
E-Rickshaw Chaos, Waterlogging, Traffic Mess — Can Noida Fix Its Daily Chaos? | Exclusive with Dr Lokesh M, IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
UPSC Stories
images (14)
Utsav Anand, the UPSC Topper Who Chose Public Service Over a Plush Career
From IIT Bombay to the 2022 IAS batch (Haryana cadre), Utsav Anand’s journey is proof that sharp minds...
pushplata-yadav-ias
How IAS Pushp Lata’s Strategy and Spirit Took Her to AIR 80
From rural Haryana to IAS, Pushp Lata Yadav’s journey reflects focused planning, adaptation, and the...
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
IRS officer Padmapani Bora's 16-year career transcends typical bureaucracy. Discover his surprising journey...
Social Media
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
Local artists add colour and messages to village walls, promoting hygiene and community pride
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
UPSC Image IAS IPS IFS
UPSC CSE-2024 Results Out: Top 2 Places Bagged By Girls, Shakti Dubey AIR 1, Check Details Here
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
Bhuwan Chandra Pathak to Continue as Director (Finance) at NPCIL - Know More About him
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT