Government is working on a new telecommunications policy for the legal supervision of calls and messages

Narendra Modi led government is working on a new regulatory framework for the interception and monitoring of telephone calls and messages, while safeguarding the privacy of legal users, said the Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Telecom.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is consulting the Ministry of Interior to resolve issues related to interception by security agencies he said.

A National Security Policy for Telecommunications in this regard has been in the making for many years, while a project was proposed by the previous government United Progressive Alliance (UPA) as well.

Amid the differences between the ministries of Interior and telecommunications interception powers of security agencies, a final policy could not see the light of day during the previous government, while also had faced opposition from operators telecommunications and other sectors on privacy and other issues.

"... It's an ongoing process. We are in consultation with them (Ministry of Interior) ... you may have seen that safety centers already approved by the Council of Ministers. We are at work and we have the highest level of coordination for that, "said Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad Telecom told PTI.

The minister said that the issues of security and privacy will be served in the new policy.

Meanwhile, the Department of Telecom feels there is a need for a separate security policy, because telecommunications infrastructure is not only used for mere voice communication, but all economic activities of the country.

A Transport Department official said that in the current circumstances, confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of the messages and communication network security telecommunications is the key to the success of the digital revolution.

"Providing safe and secure network with building confidence in users and law enforcement, there is a need for a structured policy framework regulation," the official said.

The policy, which is the agnostic technology, provides network protection through integrated security functions in systems, services, equipment, devices and software rather than an add-on.

He added that all service providers are required to establish facilities to monitor all intrusions, attacks and fraud and report it to the DoT and CERT-In.

The policy aims to respond to the concerns of all categories of entities such as telecommunications service providers, equipment manufacturers, content providers, law enforcement agencies, government agencies and individuals.

The objective of the policy, the official said, is to ensure the safety of optimal communication for different communication needs, have a telecommunications network that is aligned with international standards and to assist the security agencies to intercept legal.

To automate the process of lawful interception of telephone and Internet services, the government has already established centralized data centers in Delhi and Bangalore, while servers are installed in places of telecom operators.

The government in June 2011 had adopted a centralized monitoring system (CMS) to automate the process of interception and surveillance of communications, such as voice, data, SMS and lawful Internet. For the purpose, the Centre had allocated a sum of Rs 400 million rupees.