In the midst of a growing crisis in Gujarat surrounding cybercrime, the state has shockingly gone four consecutive years without receiving any funding under the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) Scheme. The latest data from July 2024 reveals that Gujarat has now earned the unenviable title of the third-worst state for cyber fraud in the country.
The sheer scale of the problem is staggering, with a total of 121,701 cases reported, equating to an alarming 13 instances of fraud occurring every hour and over 333 cases daily. The financial repercussions are equally astounding, with an eye-watering Rs 650 crore lost to cybercriminals in just one year. Despite this alarming surge in digital crime, efforts to prevent and combat cyber fraud have been allocated zero funding.
Previous data from the Ministry of Home Affairs paints a grim picture of the situation in Gujarat, with 121,701 cyber fraud complaints registered in 2023 and 49,220 cases left unresolved. The financial impact has been severe, with an astounding Rs 650.53 crore being swindled, while Rs 156.9 crore remains in a state of limbo.
The issue of cyber fraud is not unique to Gujarat alone, as it is a nationwide problem that is rapidly escalating. In India as a whole, a total of 1,128,265 cybercrime complaints were reported last year. Uttar Pradesh leads the pack with 197,547 cases, followed by Maharashtra with 125,153 cases, while Gujarat finds itself in third place in this alarming race of cybercrime statistics.
In response to this crisis, the Gujarat government has unveiled plans to establish a Cyber Centre of Excellence for Cyber Crime (CCECC) as well as an Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF). The Finance Minister, Kanu Desai, allocated a substantial Rs 352 crore in the 2025-26 state budget towards these critical initiatives, demonstrating a strong commitment to enhancing digital security and combating drug-related crimes.
Overall, the escalating cybercrime crisis in Gujarat has underscored the urgent need for robust measures to prevent and combat cyber fraud. With the government’s recent initiatives and budget allocations, there is hope that Gujarat will be able to tackle this pressing issue head-on and protect its citizens from the growing threat of cybercriminal activities.