A Standing Committee of the Parliament has advised the External Affairs Ministry on formulation of a joint action plan with other countries to effectively curb the use of drones, virtual currencies and encrypted communications by terrorists. The committee, which tabled…

Tribune News Service

 Standing Committee of the Parliament has advised the External Affairs Ministry on formulation of a joint action plan with other countries to effectively curb the use of drones, virtual currencies and encrypted communications by terrorists.

The committee, which tabled its report in the Lok Sabha earlier this week, has also suggested that the government should focus on tangible outcomes in countering new and emerging technological tools employed by global terrorists. It had desired that collaborative effort amongst different ministries and agencies should be strengthened and enforcement of existing laws strictly monitored.

The ministry, in its reply to the committee, said that the anti-drone training was a part of capacity-building for all states and central armed police forces. The committee also noted in its report that the government had made various efforts to check the use of drones, virtual currencies and encrypted communications by terrorists.

It suggested “efforts may also be made at various bilateral, regional and multilateral fora”.

Ther parliamentary panel further stressed that the government should create a pool of dedicated experts for new and emerging technologies, matters related to cybersecurity and innovation in the field of financial technology.