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15 marks 250 words Discuss
Discuss the emerging cyber security challenges to India’s critical infrastructure and the steps needed to address them.

Decoding the directive: “Discuss”

A problem–solution “Discuss” — classify the threats, then the institutional and policy response.

What UPSC is really asking

Explain the growing attack surface (critical infrastructure, finance, power, health), types of threats (ransomware, state-sponsored, supply-chain), and India’s response — CERT-In, NCIIPC, the coming data law, and capacity gaps.

Dimensions the examiner expects

Cover these dimensions
  • Threat landscape — critical infrastructure, finance, health, power grids
  • Types — ransomware, state-sponsored, phishing, supply-chain
  • Institutional response — CERT-In, NCIIPC, National Cyber Security Policy
  • Legal — IT Act, DPDP Act 2023
  • Way forward — skilling, coordination, indigenous capability

Concepts & keywords to name

Use the right vocabulary
  • CERT-In — national incident response agency
  • NCIIPC — protects critical information infrastructure
  • DPDP Act 2023 — data protection framework
  • Critical Information Infrastructure — defined under the IT Act

Common mistakes to avoid

Don’t do this
  • Vague threat descriptions with no named institutions
  • Forgetting the legal/data-protection dimension
  • No concrete steps in the way-forward

Quick hints before you write

Structuring tips
  • Name CERT-In and NCIIPC — the two anchors examiners look for.
  • Separate threats from responses cleanly.

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