The Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) is a coordination mechanism, not an act or a scheme, established to combat drug trafficking and substance abuse in India. It was constituted on November 22, 2016, under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to solve the problem of fragmented efforts and lack of coordination among the multiple central and state agencies involved in drug law enforcement.
NCORD works through a four-tier institutional framework to ensure seamless coordination from the national to the grassroots level. The structure includes an Apex Committee chaired by the Union Home Secretary, an Executive Committee, State-level NCORD Committees chaired by the Chief Secretary, and District-level NCORD Committees led by the District Magistrate. This mechanism brings together enforcement, health, and social welfare departments to address both the supply and demand sides of the drug menace. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the central drug law enforcement agency, acts as the coordinating point for all Drug Law Enforcement Agencies (DLEAs) under the MHA.
NCORD supports the implementation of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which provides the legal framework for controlling narcotic substances and prescribes stringent penalties for drug-related crimes. Key technological mechanisms include the NCORD Portal for real-time data sharing and the National Integrated Database on Arrested Narco-Offenders (NIDAAN), which contains searchable data of arrested and convicted persons under the NDPS Act.
The NCORD mechanism has been restructured multiple times since its inception, first on July 29, 2019, and again on March 25, 2022, to enhance efficiency, accountability, and information sharing. Recent developments include the release of the Vision Document on Drug Control (2026-2029), which calls for mandatory financial investigations in major drug cases and potential amendments to the NDPS Act to address loopholes exploited by drug syndicates.