With the enhanced use of internet, the number of cyber crimes is also increasing.  As per data maintained and published by NCRB, 21796, 27248 and 44546 cyber crime cases have been registered during the years 2017, 2018 & 2019 respectively.  The motives behind cyber crime in the country inter-alia include personal revenge, fraud, sexual exploitation, inciting hate, spreading piracy, stealing information etc.

            “Police” and “Public Order” are State subjects as per Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India and States are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation, prosecution of crimes including cyber crimes.  The Law Enforcement Agencies take action as per legal provisions of law against the cyber crime offenders.

            To strengthen the mechanism to deal with cyber crimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, the Central Government has taken steps for spreading awareness about cyber crimes; issuance of alerts/advisories; capacity building/training of law enforcement personnel/prosecutors/judicial officers; improving cyber forensic facilities; etc.  The Central Government has also launched National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, www.cybercrime.gov.in to enable citizens to report complaints pertaining to all types of cyber crimes with special focus on cyber crimes against women and children.

            The Government is operating the Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) which is providing detection of malicious programs and free tools for cleaning malicious code as well as tools such as M- Kavach for addressing threats related to mobile phones.  Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) coordinates with its counterpart agencies in foreign countries on cyber incidents originating outside the country. 

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply to question in the Rajya Sabha today.

*****

NW/RK/PK/DDD/193