GOVT FUNDS FOR CYBERSECURITY ON THE DECLINE

Although cybersecurity is supposedly a government priority, due to digitisation of services across sectors, financial allocation for this has been reducing over the past three years. And, allocated funds are not being utilised fully.

The government programme caters to operational expenditure of critical statutory organisations such as the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) and others. During 2014-15, allocation for cyber security, which includes funds for CERT-In and the Information Technology Act, stood at ~1.2 billion at Budget Estimate (BE) stage. Reduced to ~620 million at the Revised Estimate (RE) stage; actual expenditure was ~586 million.

Allocation for cybersecurity in 2015-16 decreased to ~1.05 billion at BE stage and further to ~850 million at RE stage; actual expenditure was ~682 million. Similarly, during 201617, allocation at BE stage was ~700 million, reduced to ~536 million at RE stage; actual expenditure has been only ~318.4 million.

For 2017-18, ~404.8 million has been allocated for the cybersecurity programme.

A parliamentary committee recently raised concerns about the decreasing allocation and utilisation of funds. It said this was an upcoming area and requiring increased allocation to meet the shortage of personnel, upgradation of technology and training, etc. It asked the ministry of electronics and IT (Meity) to give focused attention to cybersecurity and optimally utilise the allocations. The ministry has accepted the recommendations.