Consider the following statements regarding cybercrime and cybersecurity in India:

1. Cybercrime incidents in India have significantly declined over the last four years.

2. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) operates under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

3. The ‘Suspect Repository’ facility on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) allows citizens to search I4C’s database for cybercriminal identifiers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is option 2.

In News

• A sharp increase in cybercrime incidents has been reported in India, with fraud cases tripling between 2022 and 2024, and defrauded amounts rising 21 times. The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) continues to implement initiatives like the Suspect Repository to combat cyber fraud.

Key Points

• Cybercrime cases have increased, not declined in the last four years.
  • The number of reported cybercrime cases on the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP) rose from 39,925 in 2022 to 1,23,672 in 2024, with financial losses skyrocketing.
    • Hence, Statement 1 is incorrect.
• The Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), not the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
  • Hence, Statement 2 is incorrect.
  • The ‘Suspect Repository’ facility on the NCRP provides citizens with the option to search for cybercriminal identifiers, such as mobile numbers, email IDs, and account details.
  • This helps individuals verify suspicious transactions and report potential cyber fraud.
    • Hence, Statement 3 is correct.

Additional Information

• I4C’s initiatives include:
  • Blocking fraudulent Skype and WhatsApp accounts used for cybercrimes.
  • Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting System (launched in 2021) to curb online financial fraud.
  • National Cybercrime Threat Analytics Unit and National Cybercrime Reporting Portal for real-time crime tracking.
• The government has blocked over 7.81 lakh SIM cards and 2.08 lakh IMEIs to counter cyber fraud.