Lok Sabha Question No. 979 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-02-08
Subject: Cyber Security in Rural Areas
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Gajendra Singh Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 979

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 08.02.2023

## CYBER SECURITY IN RURAL AREAS

## 979. SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH PATEL:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the public awareness campaign is being run for cyber security in rural areas and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the efforts made by the Government with regard to check cyber crime and cyber security during the last three years;
- (c) whether any special campaign with regard to cyber security is being run in tribal area; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

(a) to (d): The Government is committed to ensure that the Internet in India is Open, Safe & Trusted and Accountable for all users. With the expansion of the Internet and more and more Indians coming online, the possibility that Digital Nagrik or citizens being exposed to user harms and criminality has also increased. Government is fully cognizant and aware of various cyber security threat and it necessary to create awareness among digital nagrik on issues of cyber security.

A number of activities for increasing public awareness regarding cyber security are carried out, across the country including in rural areas, under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. These include the following:

- (i) 1,479 awareness workshops on information security have been organised in both direct and  virtual  mode  for  school  and  college  students,  teachers,  faculty,  government personnel, law enforcement agencies, general users, parents, women, Common Service Centres,  etc.,  covering  2,89,072  participants  across  33  States  and  Union  territories. 1,24,909 school teachers have been trained as master trainers in 43 training programme.
- (ii) 5.75  crore  beneficiaries  are  estimated  to  have  been  covered  so  far  through  multiple modes  including  15  Cyber  Safety  and  Cyber  Security  Awareness  Weeks,  116  mass awareness programme broadcast through Doordarshan/All India Radio;  26 editions of bimonthly newsletter and multilingual awareness materials in the form  of handbooks (16),  multimedia  short  videos  (75),  multi-lingual  posters  (121),  cartoon  stories  for children  (65),  etc.  which  have  been  disseminated  through  the  print,  electronics  and social  media,  besides  being  made  available  through  the  ISEA  awareness  website (www.infosecawareness.in).
- (iii) A self-paced three module e-learning course on cyber hygiene practices has been made available through the ISEA awareness website, under which 72,797 participants have been  registered  and  27,189  participants  certified;  also  Online  quiz  competitions  on cyber  hygiene  and  cyber  security  aspects  have  been  organised  for  various  users,  in which 5.17 lakh persons have participated, of which 2.75 lakh have cleared the same.
- (iv) The CSC Academy, a society set up by CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, has partnered with a number of corporate partners to implement cyber security and safety projects in the rural areas covering more than five lakh direct and indirect beneficiaries, including women.
- (v) In addition, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) issues alerts and  advisories  regarding  latest  cyber  threats/vulnerabilities  and  countermeasures  to protect  computers  and  networks  on  an  ongoing  basis,  which  benefits  all  citizens, including those in rural areas.

Further,  the  Indian  Cyber  Crime  Coordination  Centre  (I4C)  under  the  Ministry  of  Home Affairs  has  been  designated  as  the  nodal  point  in  the  fight  against  cybercrime.  A  toll-free number  1930  has  been  made  operational  for  citizens  to  get  assistance  in  lodging  online complaints in their own language. To spread awareness on cybercrime, the Ministry of Home Affairs has taken several steps that include dissemination of messages on cybercrime through the Twitter handle @cyberDost and radio campaigns.

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