A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has raised a red flag over the growing wave of cyber fraud across India, calling for urgent policy measures and heightened public awareness. Chaired by MP Radha Mohan Das Agrawal, the panel met in New Delhi to examine “Cyber Crime – Ramifications, Protection and Prevention.”
Cyber Threats Multiply as Public Remains Vulnerable
Panel members voiced concern that rapid digital adoption—across online banking, payments, and telecom services—has outpaced public knowledge about secure online behavior. With cybercrimes proliferating, many victims fall prey to fraud without even realizing the risks involved. The panel urged collaboration between the Home Ministry, Department of Financial Services (DFS), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), and law enforcement agencies to design robust preventive strategies. ()
Speakers at the hearing repeatedly warned that India’s cyber conviction rates remain low, raising questions about the effectiveness of current investigative and judicial responses.
Policy and Public Education in the Spotlight
The discussion also zeroed in on the urgent need for comprehensive awareness campaigns. Agencies like RBI and DFS, along with public and private banks, were urged to launch nationwide education drives and in-branch advisories highlighting how to recognise phishing, scam calls, and fraudulent messages. The committee is expected to extend its hearings this week to include inputs from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the CBI, and the NIA.
About the Author – Anirudh Mittal is a B.Sc. LL.B. (Hons.) student at National Forensic Sciences University, Gandhinagar, with a keen interest in corporate law and tech-driven legal change.