- Why in news
- On 11 August 2026, the Home Ministry told the Lok Sabha that I4C has blocked 3,718 mobile apps till 30 June 2026 and saved over Rs 11,158 crore through CFCFRMS.
- What it is
- The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) is an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs. It coordinates action against all types of cyber crime across States and agencies. It runs the national reporting portal, the financial fraud reporting system and the Sahyog portal.
- Status of I4C
- I4C is an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs, set up to handle all types of cyber crime in a coordinated way.
- NCRP
- The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal is part of I4C. It lets the public report all cyber crimes, with special focus on crimes against women and children.
- Sahyog portal
- It speeds up notices to IT intermediaries under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, 2000, to remove or disable access to unlawful content.
- CFCFRMS
- Launched in 2021 for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop fraudsters siphoning off funds.
Don’t confuse with Section 69A vs Section 79(3)(b) of IT Act: Section 69A covers government blocking of public access to information on specified grounds. Section 79(3)(b) concerns notices to intermediaries, who lose safe-harbour if they do not remove unlawful content after notice.
Don’t confuse with NCRP vs CFCFRMS: NCRP takes reports of all cyber crimes. CFCFRMS is the system for financial fraud, aimed at freezing money quickly.
Laws, judgments and statutory bodies: 30 Prelims questions since 2013 (what the law says, who chairs, legal basis). In Mains, 44 news-triggered questions, most in GS2, asking for provisions and challenges.
Why it matters
- A single coordinating centre links police, banks and telecom bodies, which helps stop money quickly after fraud.
- Blocking apps, SIMs and IMEIs cuts the tools used for scams such as fraudulent loan apps.
Problems
- Police is a State subject, so action depends on State police capacity and cooperation.
- Mule accounts and fresh apps appear faster than blocking, and blocking orders raise concerns over due process and free speech.
Way forward
- Train State cyber cells and speed up bank coordination and fund restoration.
- Add clear review and transparency for blocking and takedown orders, with public awareness.
Put in your answer
Standard Operating Procedure: A uniform SOP for NCRP-CFCFRMS, with money restoration and grievance redressal modules working from April 2026.
- 2019Mains GS3 · Q10Explain the CyberDome Project and its use in controlling internet crimes.
- 2020Mains GS3 · Q9Discuss types of cyber crimes and measures needed to fight them.
- 2015Mains GS3 · Q20Critically evaluate National Cyber Security Policy 2013 and implementation challenges.
- 2017Prelims Q85Which entities are legally mandated to report cyber security incidents in India?
- 2020Prelims Q60Which benefits are covered under individual cyber insurance in India?
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting body with NCRP, Sahyog and CFCFRMS; I4C figures change, so card only.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.