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Punjab, Nagaland, Andamans to Get New Cyber Forensic Divisions

The Indian government is establishing new cyber forensic divisions in Punjab, Nagaland, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar informed Parliament that Sikkim is now the only state lacking such a facility. Significant funding has been approved for additional National Cyber Forensic Labs under a women's safety scheme. The existing national lab in Hyderabad currently has a backlog of 181 pending cases for examination.

Key Points: New Cyber Forensic Labs in Punjab, Nagaland, Andamans

  • New divisions in Punjab, Nagaland, Andamans
  • 27 States/UTs already have labs
  • Rs 126.84 cr for women's safety labs
  • National Cyber Lab in Hyderabad
2 min read

Cyber forensic divisions coming up in Punjab, Nagaland, Andamans: MoS Bandi Sanjay Kumar​

MoS Home announces new cyber forensic divisions. Sikkim remains only state without such a facility. Details on funding and national labs.

"Sikkim is the only state without such a facility. - Bandi Sanjay Kumar"

New Delhi, Feb 3

Cyber forensic divisions are being established in Punjab, Nagaland, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, while 27 States and Union Territories already have such facilities, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday.​

Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, said that Sikkim is the only state without such a facility.​

The MoS said the remaining four Union Territories - Chandigarh, Daman Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Lakshadweep, and Ladakh are utilising forensic science facilities available in their neighbouring States/Union Territories, as well as those of the Central Forensic Science Laboratories.​

He said the Government of India has established a National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (Evidentiary) (NCFL (E)) at the CFSL, Hyderabad, with a total financial outlay of Rs 37.34 crore.​

The MoS said funds to the tune of Rs 126.84 crore have been approved under the umbrella scheme "Safety of Women" for the establishment of six 06 NCFLs(E) in Central Forensic Science Laboratories located at Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata (West Bengal), Kamrup (Assam), Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and Pune (Maharashtra).​

So far, Rs 22.51 crore out of the approved amount has been utilised, he said.​

Replying to a question on pending cases in cyber forensic labs in different states, the MoS said the details are not maintained centrally.​

Sharing data on pendency at the Central lab in Hyderabad, he said that as of date, 181 cases are pending for examination at NCFL (E) Hyderabad, which has four in-house experts and five contractual manpower.​

Bandi Sanjay Kumar said reskilling and upskilling of cyber professionals is an inherent and ongoing process, part of their functional responsibilities, and carried out primarily through on-the-job learning.​

The National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) also conducts various training programs in the field of cyber forensics, he said, adding that in the last five years, as many as 66 training programmes with 1,852 participants have been conducted by the NFSU for the officers of various government departments.​

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Good initiative, but the pendency of 181 cases in Hyderabad with just 9 staff is concerning. The government is allocating crores for new labs, but are they also planning to hire and train enough experts to run them effectively? Speed is everything in cyber crime.
A
Aman W
Finally! We hear about so many online frauds and harassment cases, especially against women. Setting up these labs under the "Safety of Women" scheme makes perfect sense. Hope it leads to faster justice.
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Suresh O
Sikkim is the only state without a facility? That's surprising for a state that is promoting tech and tourism. They should be prioritized next. Also, good to see Assam getting a lab in Kamrup - the entire North-East needs this infrastructure.
K
Kavya N
Training 1852 officers in 5 years is a good start, but we need thousands more. Cyber criminals are always learning new tricks. Our police and forensic teams need constant, advanced training to keep up. The 'on-the-job learning' mentioned is not enough.
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David E
As someone working in IT security, I appreciate the investment. The ₹37 crore for the Hyderabad lab and ₹126 crore for new ones is significant. The key will be transparency in how these funds are used and clear metrics on case resolution times.

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