Lok Sabha Question No. 3662 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: Online Harassment of Women
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: ANURAG SINGH THAKUR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3662

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 02.01.2019

## ONLINE HARASSMENT OF WOMEN

## 3662.    SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:

Will the Minister of Electronics & Information Technology be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government maintains any data on the online harassment/abuse faced by women, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the stringent measures taken by the Government to prevent online harassment/abuse of women; and
- (c) whether  a  cyber-crime  cell  catering  to  women  is  present  in  every  State,  and  if  so,  the  details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI S.S. AHLUWALIA)

(a):   With the proliferation of Information Technology and related services there is a rise in instances of cyber crimes in the country like elsewhere in the world. As per the data maintained by National Crime Records  Bureau  (NCRB),  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs,  a  total  of  749,  792  and  930  cases  of  cybercrime against women were registered during the year 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively under sections 67 and 67A of the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000.

- (b):    Government has taken the following steps to prevent online harassment/abuse of women:
- (i) The  Information  Technology  Act,  2000  has  provisions  to  deal  with  cyber  crime  against women and children. Sections 66E, 67, and 67A of the Act provides for the punishment and fine  for  voyeurism,  publishing  or  transmitting  of  obscene/sexually-explicit  material  in electronic form. Further, sections 354A and 354D of Indian Penal Code provides punishment for cyber bullying and cyber stalking.
- (ii) Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 provides for certain due diligence to be followed by intermediaries failing which they would be liable. The Information Technology (Intermediaries  Guidelines)  Rules,  2011  notified  under  section  79  of  the  Act,  inter  alia, specifies  that  the  intermediaries  shall  inform  the  users  of  computer  resource  not  to  host, display,  upload,  modify,  publish,  transmit,  update  or  share  any  information  that  is  grossly harmful, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, paedophilic, harms minor in any way; violates any law for the time being in force; etc.
- (iii) Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  (MHA) is implementing  a  comprehensive  central sector  scheme, namely  'Centre  for  Cyber  Crime  Prevention  against  Women  and  Children  (CCPWC)'  to handle all issues related to check all cyber-crime against women and children including child pornography.
- (iv) MHA has issued an Advisory on 4.1.2012 on Preventing & combating Cyber Crime against Women  and  Children,  wherein  it  was  advised  to  States/Union  Territories  to  specifically combat the crimes in forms of cyber stalking, cyber bullying, child pornography and exposure to sexually explicit material etc.
- (v) As per the MHA advisory, States have setup cyber crime cells to investigate cyber crimes and initiated action to strengthen the investigation resources in cyber crime cells.
- (vi) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has issued an Advisory under Information Technology Act, 2000 for Online Matrimonial Websites service providers for the benefit  of  registered  users  who  are  either  creating  the  profile  or  whose  profile  is  being uploaded  for  matrimonial  alliance  on  these  sites.  The  advisory  issued  on  6th  June  2016  is
- available on MeitY website at http://meity.gov.in/writereaddata/files/Advisory\_matrimonial\_Websites\_79\_IT%20Act%2C2 000.pdf and MWCD  website  at http://wcd.nic.in/acts/advisory-functioning-matrimonialwebsites
- (vii) Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has launched a portal www.cybercrime.gov.in for public to report complaints of child pornography and sexually abusive explicit content.
- (c):    'Police'  is  a  State  subject.  Data  related  to  establishment  of  cyber-crime  cell  catering  to  women  in every State is not maintained centrally.

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