Government is working to enhance capacity to protect data

New Delhi: Against the backdrop of snooping by the US, government is working to enhance its capacity to protect data and information flows, the Lok Sabha was informed on December 10.

"The Indian government is working to enhance its capacity to protect data and information flows by building better cyber and telephony infrastructure and by evolving new cyber and telecom security practices," Minister of State for External Affairs V K Singh said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

He said India had raised its concerns with the US side, including at senior levels, on the reported authorisation given to entities of the US government to intrude upon the privacy of communications of the Indian government, its citizens and Indian entites.

"The US has noted that it fully respects and understands the feelings expressed by India in this regard. The US has also conveyed that the US President Barack Obama has ordered a unique and unprecedented review of the US intelligence gathering and related activities," Singh said.

In reply to another question, the minister said, India had raised concerns to Australian government over incorrect depiction of the country's boundary in Kashmir at the Queensland University of Technology where Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited on November 14.

"The matter was immediately taken up with the University which acknowledged their error and tendered an unconditional regret and apology for the inadvertent use of the incorrect map. Government of India takes any incorrect depiction of maps of India very seriously. Accordingly, the concerns of Government oif India were also conveyed to the Australian government," he said.