Online Booking: Railways May Set Up Cell To Prevent Cyber Crimes

A committee has been set up to explore the feasibility of setting up a cyber cell, the report said.

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The Indian Railways could soon set up a cyber crime cell to prevent the misuse of automation software on its ticket booking website, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying on Monday, 28 January.

A committee has been constituted to explore the feasibility of setting up such a cell in the Railway Board, sources in the Indian Railways said.

The six-member panel consisting of senior officials from various directorates –engineers from CRIS, computerisation and information systems, signalling and telecom, vigilance officer and security officials – will submit the report to the board within three months.

"The committee has to basically prepare a blueprint for the board to set up the cyber crime cell. They have to recommend ways to induct persons with experience in handling such cases, either on deputation or permanent absorption, so as to eliminate scope of manipulation," the source told PTI.

"It also has to determine under which department the cell has to operate and the strength of staff and pay matrix," the source added.

Last year, the railways had informed Parliament that it had asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to block 19 websites over concerns of misuse of the automation software on www.irctc.co.in

Railways to Recruit Over Four Lakh People By 2021

Union Minister Piyush Goyal had, on 23 January, announced that the railways will employ over four lakh people by 2021, indicating that the recruitment under the 10 percent quota for economically weaker sections would begin soon, according to IANS.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, he had said that presently, the Railways has a sanctioned strength of 15.06 lakh employees, of which 12.23 lakh personnel were on the rolls while the remaining 2.82 lakh posts are vacant.

“Last year we undertook the recruitment process for over 1.51 lakh posts, leaving 1.31 lakh posts vacant. And in the coming two years, about 99,000 posts would lie vacant as 53,000 and 46,000 railway employees would retire in 2019 and 2020 respectively.”

Piyush Goyal, as reported by IANS

He said recruitment for 2.3 lakh posts will be completed in the next two years.

(With inputs from PTI and IANS)