MHA forms new divisions to check radicalisation, cyber fraud

NEW DELHI: The Union home ministry today created new divisions to check radicalisation and cyber fraud as part of a major rejig of some of its crucial wings.

Two new divisions, Counter-Terrorism and Counter Radicalisation (CTCR) and Cyber and Information Security (CIS), have been created.

The CTCR division will devise quick strategies for de-radicalisation and to check terrorism, an order issued by the home ministry said.

It will prepare action plans for combating terrorism and radicalisation with definite deliverables and timelines, officials said.

Threats to internal security from increased radicalisation, mostly online, and terrorism were growing, the officials said, adding that the new wing will focus on assessing the reach of global terrorist outfits besides shaping strategies to counter their propaganda and activities.

It will also hire domain experts for the purpose.

The other new wing, CIS, has been created to monitor online crimes and threats, including cyber fraud and hacking, and suggest ways to minimise and fight them.

This division will track and counter online fraud, hacking, identity theft, dark net, trafficking and cyber attacks on critical information infrastructure, the officials said.

Several division have also been merged as part of the administrative changes.

At present, the home ministry has three divisions on internal security -- Internal Security I, II and III (or IS-I, IS-II and IS-III).

The home ministry has merged its Internal Security-I and Internal Security-III divisions, besides modifying the work of the IS-II division, which will now be known as the CTCR.

The existing International Cooperation division, which deals with matters related to international/bilateral security issues such as Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, has been merged with the Coordination and Public Grievances division. A new wing, Coordination and International Cooperation, has been carved out of them.

Similarly, the judicial wing has been merged with the Centre-State division. The judicial division deals with matters relating to legislative aspects of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Commission of Inquiry Act.

The Centre-State wing looks after work related to Constitutional provisions governing such relations like the appointment of governors, creation of new states, nominations to Rajya Sabha/Lok Sabha, inter-state boundary disputes, overseeing the crime situation in states and imposition of President's rule.

The ministry will continue to have 18 divisions, each led by a joint secretary-level officer.