Goa Police adopts blockchain-based record keeping system in partnership with 5ire

Goa Police, the state police body, has announced its transition to a paperless record keeping system that uses blockchain technology for security and transparency. The transition is being enabled by Indian blockchain startup 5ire, which announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Goa Police earlier today.

As part of this partnership, 5ire will help Goa Police transition to a paperless document and evidence storage system, by using blockchain infrastructure. The latter uses distributed, decentralised data storage by breaking up available data and distributing it across various servers. The data is then secured by a blockchain’s distributed ledger verification system, and is also better guarded against data centre failures since it is stored across multiple servers.

Blockchain based data storage services have also been tipped to be a better alternative to centralised data storage servers, since they do not require duplication of data to be kept safe. They are also more difficult to be breached by cyber attackers.

To be sure, this is not the very first implementation of blockchain technologies among state and district police bodies in India. In December last year, 5ire partnered with Muzaffarnagar Police to announce a pilot project that would test blockchain technology deployment for transparent police record and evidence logging.

The state of Goa, meanwhile, has been using blockchain technologies in various public departments for a while. The company already has a blockchain-based excise management system that monitors liquor manufacturing and movement, procurement of raw materials, and prohibition of illicit liquor in the state through its transparent blockchain-based data logging system.

Over the past year, Indian web3 startups have been announcing hackathons and accelerator programs to help build public blockchain deployments. Last month, CoinSwitch Kuber announced its Building Future Cities hackathon in partnership with state government-affiliated promoter Startup Karnataka and venture capital firm Sequoia India. The program is tipped to support blockchain applications to help build smart city deployments with transparent public data services, smart mobility, energy credits, waste management and more.

In April this year, fellow web3 startup WazirX, in partnership with incubator Buidler’s Tribe and the Atal Incubation Centre at the Goa Institute of Management announced a startup accelerator program to push deployment of blockchain-based public solutions.