Cybercrime matters are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as per the allocation of business rules. To strengthen the ecosystem for combating cyber-crimes, MHA has established the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to provide a framework and support to Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs). Further, the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) – https://cybercrime.gov.in – has been launched to enable the public to report all types of cybercrimes. The number of complaints reported on NCRP has been rising steadily, with 10.29 lakh cases in 2022, 15.96 lakh cases in 2023, and 22.68 lakh cases in 2024.

Statistics:

• Number of complaints registered on NCRP:
  • 2022: 10.29 lakh
  • 2023: 15.96 lakh
  • 2024: 22.68 lakh

Key DoT Initiatives:

1. AI & Big Data Tool – ASTR
   • Developed to identify mobile connections taken by the same person under different names.
   • Over 82 lakh connections disconnected after failure in reverification through ASTR.
2. Robust KYC Framework for Mobile Connections
   • Mandatory registration of Point of Sale (PoS) by telecom licensees through:
     • Biometric verification
     • Physical verification of business address and local residence of PoS
   • Maintenance of online supply chain management for SIM cards.
   • Penal provisions include:
     • Termination of agreement
     • Blacklisting of PoS across all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs)
3. Additional Safeguards
   • Business connections framework: Mandatory KYC of each end-user before activation.
   • Enhanced KYC process for SIM Swap / replacement to prevent fraud.