India open for widest cyber security collaboration: Prasad

The government is open for international collaboration in the field of cyber security and favours handling issue of cyber terrorism in cooperation with other countries, IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today.
"India is willing to have the widest cooperation world over in the quest of cyber security," Prasad said at international conference on e-governance, ICEGOV, here.
Cyber crime has been growing across the globe because lack of international cooperation in this field. As per experts, many countries have been hesitant in signing cooperation agreement to handle cyber crime because of suspected involvement of their security agencies in cyber espionage.

"If Internet has to remain powerful, it must be safe and secure. Few people are using digital technology for terrorism, for hatred, for extremism, and we need to work together," Prasad said.
He said that the Internet is one of finest creation of human mind and must be available for all.
"It should not become the monopoly of few. Therefore, right of its access must be without discrimination. In order to become truly global it must have link with the local," he added.

The minister said that India would be voice of moderation, reason and assimilation as far as the Internet discourse is concern.

"Let me make it clear, India would be voice of assertion in favour of those who are digitally deprived, digitally discriminated because 'Digital India' is designed to bridge the gap between digital haves and digital have-nots," Prasad said.
He announced that India will work upon to improve human resource for foreign students as well.
"The government of India will ensure provision for 100 students from all the participating countries to do their PhDs in prestigious universities of India in quest of electronics manufacturing," the minister added.
He said that the government has laid special emphasis to promote electronics manufacturing in the country and has received investment of nearly USD 25 billion in last two years for electronics productions in the country.

The minister also said that India is ready to connect its National Knowledge Network (NKN) with other nations of the world including East, South & Middle East Asia and Africa for knowledge sharing and collaborative research.
NKN connects nearly 1,600 universities and research centres in India on a high capacity broadband network.
Around 30 countries including Portugal, Greece, Estonia, Norway, Uganda participated in the ICEGOV conference.
"I am happy to note that ICEGOV 2017 has witnessed a record number of submissions of papers - around 560 of them on topics as varied as open government, digital citizenship, digital inclusion...I hope that the learning and sharing of experiences will be both ways," Minister of State for Law and IT PP Chaudhary said.