Now Reading: Rs 790 crore set for cybersecurity as CERT-In hiring lags
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Rs 790 crore set for cybersecurity as CERT-In hiring lags
The government has allocated Rs 790 crore for cybersecurity projects in FY2026-27, minister Jitin Prasada told Rajya Sabha. But a parliamentary committee has asked the IT ministry to speed up hiring for…
The Story in Brief
The government has allocated Rs 790 crore for cybersecurity projects in FY2026-27, minister Jitin Prasada told Rajya Sabha. But a parliamentary committee has asked the IT ministry to speed up hiring for the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) as 269 new posts approved by the finance ministry remain unfilled amid rising threats. The Standing Committee on Communications and IT noted recruitment rules for some scientific positions are still being vetted. Separately, the panel revealed that the IndiaAI Mission's fellowship programme has struggled to attract applicants in its initial phase, which the ministry blamed on limited awareness.
The Indian Opinion
The government's Rs 790 crore cybersecurity outlay for FY27 is welcome, but money alone won't fix staffing gaps. A parliamentary panel has rightly flagged that CERT-In's 269 approved posts remain unfilled and the IndiaAI Mission fellowship has seen poor applications. Minister Prasada's reply in Rajya Sabha glosses over these delays. The real test is not the budget size but whether scientist recruitment ads appear by next quarter. If the cash sits idle while breaches rise, the talk of 'strengthening infrastructure' rings hollow.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, economictimes.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
