Why Delhi Police's ₹15.7-crore CCTV facial recognition tender faces scrutiny amid protests CJP: Concerns clarified

AND ₹Delhi Police’s Rs 15.7 crore tender to install 338 surveillance cameras with facial recognition and other monitoring features in parts of the capital has come under scrutiny over privacy, technical irregularities and procurement practices.

Digital rights group Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), which examined the tender documents, flagged gaps in how facial recognition technology (FRT) will be managed, including the absence of a standard operating procedure, a privacy impact assessment and clearly defined rules for the retention of sensitive data.

The review comes amid questions about the use of facial recognition at protests and other public gatherings.

However, Delhi Police officials quoted by The Times of India say the contract is part of a modernization plan launched about two years ago and is not related to the recent demonstrations.

Why did the timing of the tender raise questions?

According to an analysis by IFF, the tender was uploaded on the government’s e-procurement platform five days after protests at Jantar Mantar over the NEET paper leak ended.

On 11 October, the Delhi Police denotified Jantar Mantar as a designated protest venue and diverted future demonstrations to alternative venues, including Ramlila Maidan, Burari Ground and CBD Ground in Shahdara.

The sequence of events has attracted attention because several of the locations covered by the surveillance project are public spaces used for gatherings and demonstrations.

However, the IFF said it found no evidence that the selection process and the decision to change the designated protest sites were coordinated.

“We can say that the place that the police have chosen for the protests is the place that they have already chosen to monitor with facial recognition,” the organization said in its analysis.

A police source told The Times of India that the proposal was launched about two years ago as part of a wider modernization program being carried out in several states.

what does he do ₹15.7 million tender cover?

The five-year contract covers 338 cameras: 248 fixed cameras, 43 pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras and 47 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

The project also includes video management software, storage hardware and related infrastructure.

According to IFF, the proposed installation locations include Ramlila Maidan VVIP Gate, Turkman Gate, Delhi Gate, Rajghat, C-Hexagon at India Gate, Mandi House and Patiala House Judicial Complex.

A separate e-tender invited on May 22 sought 194 cameras for VVIP routes in north Delhi, according to The Times of India.

What are the privacy and surveillance concerns?

The IFF has flagged what it describes as significant gaps in the safeguards governing the proposed facial recognition system.

Her concerns include the absence of a standard operating procedure for the use of FRT, a privacy impact assessment and clear information about the databases against which faces would be checked.

The tender documents also do not specify accuracy thresholds or adequate guarantees against false matches, according to the group.

The IFF indicates 28 procedural deficiencies in the procurement documentation

In addition to privacy concerns, the IFF identified 28 alleged procedural flaws in the tender documents.

These include inconsistencies in the reported quantities of PTZ and ANPR cameras, technical specifications that appear to be copied from older tenders, and references to outdated independent monitors.

The organization also flagged inaccurate geographic coordinates, including one camera location it said was located about 40 kilometers east of Delhi.

Why is facial recognition back in the spotlight at protests?

The selection process drew attention against the backdrop of Delhi Police’s earlier use of facial recognition during protests.

According to The Times of India, police deployed the FRT during the July 2026 NEET-UG paper leak protests at Jantar Mantar to scan crowds and check individuals against criminal databases.

Delhi Police claimed that facial recognition and other technical tools identified 2,873 people with potential criminal antecedents at the protest sites. Of these, 989 reportedly had past records of crimes such as murder, robbery and weapons violations.

This data was reported by the police and does not in itself prove that the identified individuals committed offenses during the protests.

The debate has resurfaced over allegations of a security crackdown during demonstrations led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the voter list.

The police action to prevent the ‘Lehra Do Tiranga’ march at Connaught Place has contributed to the scrutiny of the authorities’ handling of public demonstrations.