NEW DELHI: The Centre is considering working out a new framework for handholding of the state and Union Territories (UTs) in dealing with ever-increasing incidents of cybercrimes, which are posing a threat from across the globe, and also in cyber forensics, officials said on Sunday.
They said, recently a high-level meeting was chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, which was attended by Director Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka and senior officials from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), to discuss the issue.
During the deliberations at the meeting it was decided to develop a “central scheme or framework’ to assist states and UTs in enhancing their capabilities in tackling cases of cybercrimes, the officials said.
According to a senior official of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) the new framework “will be worked out in which there will be provisions for the states and UTs to seek assistance from the central agencies in combating different types of cybercrimes, building capacity, raising awareness, operationalising the 1930 helpline, and handling cyber forensics”.
The I4C has been tasked with formulating and implementing the scheme, he added.
“At the meeting, chaired by the Home Secretary, action points were proposed to the I4C officials, who were given direction to take necessary measures and submit a report on the progress,” the official said, adding that a set of query has since been sent to the MHA and a response is awaited to take the formulation of the framework forward.
Sources in the know of the development said the MHA plans to centralise and connect all related data, making it accessible to state authorities and also help states in handling major cases with support from central agencies.
“Apart from training, data sharing, and enhancing platforms such as the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), as well as I4C portals, will be prioritised. The aim is to respond more swiftly to cyber threats and crimes, as states play a crucial role in investigations,” another official said.
According to data, the National Cyber Crime Portal (NCRP) received over 30 lakh complaints related to cyber fraud from 2020 to February 2024. But official communications highlight that the low number of arrests in cyber fraud cases remains a significant concern.
Official data relating to cybercrimes show that less than 1 percent of over 66,000 cases registered by law enforcement agencies resulted in arrests. In 2024 only about 500 arrests were made.