Sibal's personal website hacked

294 websites in government hacked between January and October, 2012

PTI | December 1, 2012



Union communications and IT minister Kapil Sibal's personal website has been hacked and defaced by groups alleging internet censorship and curbs on free speech.

The website 'www.kapilsibalmp.com' was attacked and contents were altered to show the minister in poor light.

Sibal, who represents the Chandni Chowk constituency in Parliament, uses this portal to interact with his constituency.

While most of the website has been restored, certain sections like blogs, gallery, speeches and conversation were still not working.

While no official comment was immediately available, a source in the minister's office said the website is an old one and had not been updated for sometime now.

The Twitter account of Anonymous India (@opindia_revenge) said Sibal's site was getting "trolled".

"The time to sit silently is gone. Call your friends and get them to protests sites," said a link posted on the Twitter handle.

Meanwhile, the the government has said about 294 websites belonging to various ministries and government departments were hacked in the January-October 2012 period.

"A total number of 201, 303, 308 and 294 websites belonging to various ministries and departments in the government were hacked during the year 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (till October), respectively," Minister of State for Communications and IT Milind Deora said. More PTI SR ANZ

Following uproar over arrests under Section 66 (A), the government has said it would issue guidelines mandating that no less than a police officer of a rank of DCP will be allowed to permit registration of a case under the controversial Section.

In the case of metropolitan cities, such an approval would have to come at the level of Inspector General of Police.

The guidelines were issued after the controversial arrests of two teenage girls who had posted on Facebook objecting to a bandh-like situation in Mumbai after Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray's death and were arrested.

A 19-year-old boy was detained in Thane district on suspicion of posting an "objectionable" Facebook comment against MNS chief Raj Thackeray but later let off.

Currently, a police station in-charge or an inspector can register a case under the said provision.

Section 66 (A), which is a bailable offence and provides for a jail term of up to three years, makes it an offence to send, by means of a computer resource or communication device, any information which is grossly offensive, menacing, causes annoyance or hatred.

However, activists said while the intention is noble, the move will not help achieve the desired motive.

"Only Parliamentary amendments in the IT Act can achieve the desired objective. The issuance of guidelines without amending the IT Act are cosmetic changes to satisfy the backlash from social media," noted cyber lawyer Pavan Duggal said.

Comments

 

Other News

Gandhian movement after Gandhi failed: Ram Guha

The Gandhian movement in India, after Gandhi’s death, failed, says Ramachandra Guha, and blames Vinoba Bhave for it. But the movement found new, fertile grounds around the world and succeeded in bringing about a change in South Africa, the US and elsewhere. It is high time it returned home. Of cour

When religion, politics and Bollywood come together

Tavleen Singh, noted journalist and political commentator, has turned to fiction, with her debut novel ‘The Actor’ (HaperCollins India). Set in the near future, it has a superstar, Amit Singh, turning to politics, when the political landscape is dominated by prime minister Guru Gaynendraj

Cabinet approves setting up of Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority

The union cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved the setting up of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), called Integrated Transport & Logistics Authority (ITLA), to strengthen research, planning, appraisal, monitoring and impact assessment within the broad domains of Transp

Why foundational literacy and numeracy is key to school education

Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) are often described as the building blocks of education. Yet, their significance goes well beyond a child’s ability to read a sentence, write a response or solve a basic mathematical problem. These foundational skills shape how children understand the world,

When police data becomes the algorithm

For decades, policing has followed a familiar sequence: a crime occurs, the police respond, an investigation produces records and those records become part of the institutional memory of the criminal justice system. Artificial intelligence is beginning to alter that sequence. Instead of merely recording

Before India voted, the framers worried about the referee

“We are making a Constitution forever and not only for today.” Shibban Lal Saksena said this in the Constituent Assembly on June 15, 1949. He was warning that a ruling party might one day choose a loyalist to run India’s elections. Seventy-seven years later, the Supreme Court is wrestli

Upcoming Conferences



-->

Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter