On December 23, 2009, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram delivered the Intelligence Bureau Centenary Endowment Lecture in which he announced a new plan for homeland security. He said his plan rested on two pillars: reform of the ministry and the creation of a National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) headed by a serving police or military officer. “The time to act is now and I would spell the last word in capitals: N-O-W,” he said to emphasise urgency. The reform envisaged streamlining responsibilities of departments — like the Enforcement Directorate — that are not even part of his ministry. He also suggested that divisions not relevant to internal security, such as the Freedom Fighters’ cell, could be moved to other ministries.

<p><table width='100%' border=0 cellspacing=0><tr><td style='FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 18px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; COLOR: #0253B7;'><B>Aditi Phadnis:</B> And the home truth is...</td></tr><tr><tr><td style='FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZE: 11px; '>Home ministry initiatives flounder on the government

Aditi Phadnis: And the home truth is...

Home ministry initiatives flounder on the governments indecisiveness

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