Indian states received 6.9 million Cyber Tipline reports on child exploitation after US MoU

The Union Home Ministry has allocated ?133.53 crore under the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) Scheme to States and Union Territories (UTs) until March 31, 2024. This funding supports cyber defence initiatives such as setting up forensic labs, hiring cyber consultants, and training law enforcement and judicial officers. However, a significant portion—?93.13 crore—was disbursed in 2017-18, while no funds were allocated in 2018-19, and only ?10.69 crore was provided in 2023-24. Despite cybercrime being a state subject, most states received little or no funds beyond 2017-18, raising concerns about resource allocation.

To tackle cybercrimes more effectively, the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) was established under the Home Ministry, along with the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal for public complaints. Training programs have also been introduced, with over 24,600 individuals trained under the CCPWC Scheme. However, the growing complexity of cybercrimes, particularly those targeting women and children, remains a challenge due to the involvement of inter-state and international networks. A 2019 MoU between India and the U.S. led to collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), generating 6.9 million Cyber Tipline reports, underscoring the scale of online child exploitation.

The government has also strengthened cyber forensic capabilities through the National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (Evidence) in Hyderabad and the National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (Investigation) in New Delhi, which have supported thousands of cases. A Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) was launched in 2024 to coordinate real-time action against cyber fraud involving banks, telecom providers, and law enforcement. Additionally, Seven Joint Cyber Coordination Teams (JCCTs) were formed in key cybercrime hubs to improve inter-state cooperation. Up to February 2024, the government blocked over 3.2 lakh SIM cards and 49,000 IMEIs linked to cyber fraud and crimes.