CHENNAI: Nearly six years after the website of the Social Defence Department was hacked because it had the word 'defence' in it, the new website developed by Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency is all set to go live, said senior officials.
The department, which is responsible for the protection of children in the State, has been functioning without a website since the hacking. According to sources, a proposal has been sent to the government to change the name of the department to a phrase more relevant to child protection and welfare. The new website would be unveiled shortly after the name change.
It has been one of the long-standing demands of the child-rights activists in the State to ensure that the department's activities are more focussed. Earlier, the social defence website had data on child protection officers, registered homes, missing children, and stories of successful adoptions.
It was a repository of all information regarding child welfare, including the details of Child Welfare Committees in districts. Though there is a national-level website tracking missing children, it served as a reliable source of information in State level. It also used to have the details of various schemes implemented by the department and the translations of all child-related laws in Tamil.
"There are several schemes like the foster care facility, wherein a person can take care of a child with assistance from the State government, but many people were unaware of such programmes. A website will help bridge this gap to some extent," said an activist working in the area of child welfare for over 15 years.
The old website - www.socialdefence.tn.gov.in - was hacked around six years ago as the URL had 'defence' in it.