Centre exempts CERT-In from the purview of the RTI act
- November 25, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Centre exempts CERT-In from the purview of the RTI act
Subject : Science and Tech
Section: Awareness in IT
In the news:
- THE CENTRE has exempted the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), the national nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing, from the purview of the Right to Information Act, 2005.
- The Right to Information Act, 2005 is administered by the Department of Personnel and Training.
Center’s power to exempt CERT-In from RTI ACT 2005:
- The Centre has used its powers given under sub-section (2) of Section 24 of the RTI Act to exempt CERT-In from the purview of the transparency law.
- Using those powers, the Centre has included CERT-In at serial number 27 in the Second Schedule of the RTI Act.
- The 26 other intelligence and security organisations that are exempted from the purview of RTI Act 2005 are the Intelligence Bureau; Research and Analysis Wing including its technical wing namely, the Aviation Research Centre of the Cabinet Secretariat; Directorate of Revenue Intelligence; Central Economic Intelligence Bureau; Directorate of Enforcement; Narcotics Control Bureau; Special Frontier Force; Border Security Force; Central Reserve Police Force; Indo-Tibetan Border Police; Central Industrial Security Force; National Security Guards; Assam Rifles; Sashtra Seema Bal; Directorate General of Income-tax (Investigation); National Technical Research Organisation; Financial Intelligence Unit, India; Special Protection Group; Defence Research and Development Organisation; Border Road Development Board; National Security Council Secretariat; Central Bureau of Investigation; National Investigation Agency; National Intelligence Grid; and Strategic Forces Command.
CERT-in:
- It is an office within the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) established in 2004 under the IT Act 2000.
- It is the nodal agency to
- Deal with cyber security threats.
- Strengthen the security-related defence of the Indian Internet domain.
- Coordinate with public and private organisations in India when cyber incidents like data breaches and ransomware attacks are reported.
- Issue advisories for software vulnerabilities as guidance for organisations.
- CERT-IN has overlapping responsibilities with other agencies such as:
- National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) which is under the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), that comes under the Prime Minister’s Office.
- The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Source: Indian Express