Telangana is currently formulating its cybersecurity and cybercrime law said the state's Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao. "Telangana will be the first state in the country to draft out its legislation on cybercrime. We are drafting this in tandem with Nalsar (University of Law)," Rama Rao said during an event. He added that the idea to draft such a law took root when the Parliamentary Standing Committee for IT visited Hyderabad recently and it was brought to light that India does not have a dedicated cybercrime law. Confirming the development to MediaNama, an official in Telangana's IT Department added that inputs are being taken from stakeholders. The official did not provide a time frame on when the draft would be open for consultation. Why is Telangana bringing the law? "Crime is changing even as we speak. Crime is not so much about a few thugs on the street anymore. Crime is also changing its form. Cybercrime is becoming more and more dangerous and more prevalent," Rao said. There has been a spate of state-backed cyber attacks on India's critical infrastructure, including ones on Telangana and Maharashtra's power infrastructure. There also has been a number of data leaks which has affected several companies. It must be pointed out that India still does not have a data protection law, and the National Cyber Security Strategy which has been in the pipeline since 2019, has not been finalised yet. Constantly paranoid about surveillance: Telangana IT minister "In today's world where your phone…
