Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances organised a workshop on Cyber Security

New Delhi, Oct 08, 2024 : The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), organized a comprehensive workshop on Cyber Security at the Civil Services Officers' Institute (CSOI), Vinay Marg, New Delhi. The initiative was inspired by the establishment of the Cyber Swachhta Kendra by CERT-In (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) under MeitY.

This workshop aimed to enhance cyber security awareness, promote the initiatives of MeitY, and emphasize the need for a robust cyber infrastructure to safeguard public e-governance platforms. The workshop took place under the ambit of Special Campaign 4.0, with participation from more than 200 senior officials, including Senior Officers from NIC, Nodal Officers for Public Grievances/ Centralized Public Grievances Redressal and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS), Nodal Officers for National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) 2023, and senior officials involved in the creation and operation of your ministry's digital platforms.

The workshop focused on raising awareness about the current cyber security landscape in India, cybersecurity considerations for various government applications, the critical need for cyber security in today’s digital environment, and will provide insights into the measures that can be taken to mitigate cyber threats.

The workshop featured two key panel discussion rounds. The first, titled ‘Current Cyber Security Landscape in India’,chaired by Dr. Sanjay Bahl (DG, CERT-In),included presentations from Shri Navin Kumar Singh (DG NCIIPC), Shri Santosh Mishra (Partner PWC on Cyber Security and NeSDA 2023), and MS. Seema Khanna (DDG &HoG Cyber Security - NIC) and Dr. Sanjay Bahl (DG, CERT-In) himself. The second panel discussion focused on ‘Cybersecurity considerations for e-Office, Bhavishya & CPGRAMS’ and featured insights from Smt. Jaya Dubey (Joint Secretary, DAPRG), Dr. Sushil Kumar (DDG &HoG, NIC), Ms. Rachna Srivastava (Scientist G, NIC – e-Office), Shri Anil Bansal (Sr Director (IT), DoPPW- Bhavishya), and Shri Sanjeev Saxena (STD, NIC, DARPG- CPGRAMS).

The Inaugural Session commenced with a welcome address by Shri Puneet Yadav, Additional Secretary, DARPG, who set the stage with a compelling message about the importance of building robust cyber infrastructure in today’s digital environment. He emphasized the need for secure and efficient e-governance platforms to ensure transparency and trust in public services.

Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General of CERT-In, discussed ongoing initiatives aimed at enhancing cyber resilience in India, emphasizing efforts to strengthen digital platforms against cyber threats, in line with the vision of a secure Digital India. Shri DhruvjyotiSengupta, Joint Secretary, DoPPW, highlighted the cyber safety features of the Bhavishya Portal, stressing the importance of data security and privacy in protecting sensitive pension information and ensuring secure service delivery to pensioners.

Shri V. Srinivas, Secretary, DARPG, also stressed on the critical need to safeguard e-governance platforms by strengthening cybersecurity measures. He also highlighted key initiatives such as the National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA), where Information Security and Privacy serve as core parameters for ensuring the secure and efficient delivery of public services.

Shri S. Krishnan, Secretary, MeitY, underlined the ongoing efforts of the Government of India in fortifying India's cybersecurity landscape through initiatives like the Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre). These efforts, led by CERT-In, play a pivotal role in ensuring a secure digital future for the country.

The first panel, moderated by Dr. Sanjay Bahl, Director General of CERT-In, provided an overview of national cyber resilience efforts. Shri Navin Kumar Singh of NCIIPC highlighted the need to protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats. Shri Santosh Mishra of PwC discussed current cybersecurity trends driving digital transformation under NeSDA 2023, and Ms. Seema Khanna of NIC addressed the challenges faced by government digital platforms and NIC’s efforts to secure them.The second panel discussion focused on Cybersecurity Considerations for e-Office, Bhavishya, and CPGRAMS, and was moderated by Smt. Jaya Dubey, Joint Secretary, DARPG. She underscored the importance of incorporating strong cybersecurity measures to enhance the efficiency and integrity of key government platforms such as e-Office, Bhavishya, and CPGRAMS.

The second panel, moderated by Smt. Jaya Dubey, Joint Secretary, DARPG, explored cybersecurity measures for e-Office, Bhavishya, and CPGRAMS. Dr. Sushil Kumar emphasized e-Office security for seamless government operations, while Ms. Rachna Srivastava highlighted its role in enhancing productivity. Shri Anil Bansal stressed the need for data privacy in the Bhavishya Portal, and Shri Sanjeev Saxena outlined CPGRAMS’ cybersecurity strategies to ensure secure citizen grievance redressal.

The workshop concluded with a Vote of Thanks by Smt. Sarita Taneja, who praised the leadership of Shri S. Krishnan and Shri V. Srinivas. The event underscored the critical importance of cybersecurity for secure e-governance, showcasing initiatives by MeitY and DARPG aimed at strengthening India’s digital resilience.