Kerala, 5th June 2026: On the occasion of World Environment Day 2026, the Kerala Forest Department officially launched the HAWK (Hostile Activity Watch Kernel) e-Court integration feature, enabling the online submission of offence-related documents directly to Courts.

HAWK has now been successfully integrated with the District Court Management System (DCMS) through an API, making it the first-of-its-kind judiciary-integrated digital offence management system implemented by a Forest Department in India. 

Hon’ble Forest Minister, Mr. Shibu Baby John, formally launched the module. Dr. Pramod G Krishnan IFS, Chief Wildlife Warden, and Dr. P Pugazhendi, IFS, PCCF, were also present during the ceremony.

(L-R): Dr P Pugazhendi, IFS, PCCF; Hon’ble Forest Minister Shibu Baby; and Dr. Pramod G Krishnan, IFS, Chief Wildlife Warden | Photo © Kerala FD

Developed collaboratively by the Kerala Forest Department, the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), and supported by NTT Data, HAWK represents a major step toward fully digitised governance in wildlife crime management.

Since its adoption in 2020, the Kerala Forest Department has been at the forefront of innovation, becoming the first state forest department in India to implement a centralised digital crime data management system for offence handling. The integration with DCMS further strengthens this system by ensuring seamless coordination between the Forest Department and the judiciary.

HAWK is a comprehensive, indigenously developed platform comprising multiple modules, including offence management, wildlife mortality monitoring, data analytics, geospatial analysis, mobile applications, and command-and-control monitoring.

This latest development marks a historic milestone, positioning Kerala as a leader in leveraging technology for effective and transparent wildlife crime management in India.

Mr. Manu Sathyan, HAWK Nodal Officer, stated that the integration of online offence submission with the court system marks a significant milestone in the history of the Kerala Forest Department. This achievement strengthens transparency, efficiency, and accountability in offence management, while accelerating the department’s transition towards a fully digital governance framework.

Mr. Jose Louies, CEO, Wildlife Trust of India, stated that the development of HAWK was initiated as there are no such systems present to manage information on wildlife crime and related criminal activities. The software tracks every stage right from detection to prosecution, making the entire process more efficient. We’re grateful to the Kerala Forest Department and NTT DATA for their support of this important initiative.”