Cyber crimes and contraventions are increasing at an alarming rate. What is more worrisome is the fact that neither the legal framework nor the law enforcement agencies of India are capable enough to curb growing cyber crimes. With adoption of 2G and 3G technologies, cyber crimes would also witness a great surge.On the legal front we have a very weak cyber law of India. Information technology act, 2000 (IT Act 2000) is the sole cyber law of India that has expressly made almost all cyber crimes bailable. The intention behind this move is not yet known but this has made India a safe heaven for cyber criminals.
On the law enforcement front, our police forces are ill equipped and lack basic level training to deal with cyber crimes. When it comes to highly sophisticated technology crimes, they cannot at all solve such cases. Naturally, cyber crimes, white colour crimes, transnational crimes and economic crimes have increased drastically in India.
To a great extent ministry of communication and information technology (MCIT) is responsible for this mess. It has been taking anti national and anti consumers policy decisions. Even the cyber law of India was made impotent by introducing the information technology amendment act, 2008 (IT Act, 2008) by it despite stiff protests from legal experts.
However, equally responsible is the prime minister’s office (PMO) of India. Our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh never took pain to see how telecom related policies and laws are operating in India. In fact, PMO was made aware of these situations many times yet the political commitments never allowed it to take just and pro nation decisions.
Once again information regarding weak cyber law, defective telecom polices, harassment of consumers by telecom companies like Vodafone India, etc is available with the PMO. However, till now no sign has been shown by PMO that these maladies would be cured.
However, PMO has been actively taking interest in MCIT policy decisions and perhaps some days these crucial issues would also get its attention. But for the time being, Indian citizens have to bear with growing nuisance of cyber crimes in India.
