MeitY scales up child online safety push as 6,650 cyber awareness workshops reach 11.37 lakh people
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India has conducted over 6,650 cyber security awareness workshops reaching more than 11.37 lakh participants as part of its efforts to strengthen children's online safety amid rising concerns over cyberbullying, harmful content, online exploitation and digital addiction, the Centre informed Parliament on Wednesday.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) said the government is continuously studying global regulatory practices on child online protection while shaping India's digital governance framework. The approach seeks to balance user safety with innovation, privacy and digital inclusion as internet usage among children and young users continues to expand.
IT Rules, DPDP Act tighten digital safeguards
The government said the Information Technology Act, 2000, along with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, forms the backbone of India's digital safety framework. Under the IT Rules, intermediaries must exercise due diligence to curb harmful content involving children and report offences under laws such as the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act wherever mandatory.
The Centre also highlighted recent amendments requiring social media platforms and other intermediaries to remove unlawful content within three hours of receiving an order from a competent court or a reasoned direction from the appropriate government. Complementing these safeguards, the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 mandates parental consent for processing children's personal data while prohibiting behavioural tracking, monitoring and targeted advertising aimed at minors.
Cyber awareness drive gathers pace
Under its Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) programme, MeitY has organised 6,650 awareness workshops across the country, benefiting over 11.37 lakh participants, including students, teachers, law enforcement personnel, government officials and members of the public. The ministry has also rolled out multilingual awareness material through print, electronic and social media, while CERT-In regularly issues cyber safety advisories, posters and educational content to sensitise internet users.
The Ministry of Education's PRAGYATA Guidelines, CBSE's cyber security initiatives and NCERT's curriculum on cyber safety have also been integrated into school education to promote responsible digital behaviour among students.
Digital India expands connectivity
The government said the broader Digital India programme has significantly expanded digital access over the past decade, with telephone connections rising from 93.3 crore in 2014 to over 133 crore in March 2026, while internet subscribers climbed from 25.15 crore to 109.27 crore. As of June 2026, 2.21 lakh Gram Panchayats had been made service-ready under BharatNet, while 24,784 mobile towers had been commissioned under the Digital Bharat Nidhi-funded connectivity scheme. UPI now serves 55.49 crore users and 6.5 crore merchants, accounting for 85% of India's digital payments, while the ₹10,371.92-crore IndiaAI Mission aims to build indigenous AI capabilities and digital innovation.
The details were shared by Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State Jitin Prasada in separate written replies in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.