Telangana ranks 1st in India on cybercrime performance, PMO review finds
Synopsis
Telangana has swept a PMO-led national cybercrime review, topping all nine performance criteria — from setting up India's first S4C to enabling victims to claim cyber fraud refunds of up to ₹50,000 without an FIR. It is a rare clean sweep in a federal accountability exercise that most states have struggled to clear.
Key Takeaways
Telangana ranked 1st in India across nine cybercrime performance criteria in the PMO's PRAGATI review on 6 August .
Shikha Goel , Director of the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) , confirmed the ranking and cited applause for the state's early adoption of e-Zero FIR and establishment of India's first S4C .
The Money Restoration Module (MRM) allows cybercrime victims to claim refunds of up to ₹50,000 per transaction without an FIR or court order.
For refunds above ₹50,000 , an FIR and court order are required under the module's guidelines.
TGCSB has launched helpline 8712665600 and published instructional videos to help citizens use the GRM and MRM portals.
Telangana has been ranked first in the country across nine cybercrime performance criteria in a nationwide PRAGATI review conducted by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Thursday, 6 August. The state's Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) led the field on every assessed metric, according to Shikha Goel, Director, TGCSB.
What the PRAGATI Review Assessed
The PMO's PRAGATI review evaluated states on their implementation of digital platforms developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The nine criteria covered: setting up S4C (Cyber Crime Support Centres) in states and Jammu & Kashmir; rollout of e-Zero FIR; the Grievance Redressal Module (GRM); the Money Restoration Module (MRM) for victim refunds; the Sahyog Portal for removal of unlawful online content; Samanvaya Portal usage; identification of cybercrime hotspots; capacity building of law enforcement officers through CyTrain and Cyber Command; and information, education and communication outreach.
Why Telangana Stood Out
Telangana was specifically applauded for establishing the country's first S4C, being an early adopter of e-Zero FIR, and demonstrating effective utilisation of key I4C portals — Samanvaya, Sahyog, GRM, and MRM. This is a notable recognition for a state that has invested heavily in building dedicated cyber-policing infrastructure over the past several years.
How the GRM and MRM Work for Citizens
The GRM portal is a secure digital platform enabling citizens to register, track, and resolve grievances related to the freezing or unfreezing of bank accounts and removal of debit freezes or holds imposed during cybercrime investigations. It creates a structured coordination channel between law enforcement agencies and financial intermediaries — including banks and payment institutions — for timely disposal of complaints under applicable legal provisions.
The MRM complements this by facilitating the restoration of frozen cyber fraud proceeds directly to victims. Under the module, victims can claim refunds of up to ₹50,000 per transaction without requiring an FIR or court order, subject to guidelines. For amounts exceeding ₹50,000, restoration is processed on the basis of an FIR and a court order, streamlining what has historically been a slow and opaque process.
Citizen Outreach and Next Steps
As part of its citizen-centric push, the TGCSB has launched a dedicated helpline — 8712665600 — to assist citizens navigating GRM and MRM processes. Instructional videos explaining the features of both modules have been published on TGCSB's official social media handles. The bureau's recognition at the national level is expected to encourage other states to accelerate adoption of I4C platforms, with the PMO's PRAGATI framework serving as the accountability mechanism going forward.
Point of View
However, is the MRM's real-world refund rate — how many victims actually recover funds, and how quickly. A top ranking on implementation metrics is meaningful only if it translates into measurable victim outcomes, which the PRAGATI framework does not yet publicly report.
NationPress
7 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Telangana ranked first in cybercrime performance?
Telangana topped the PMO's PRAGATI review across all nine cybercrime performance criteria, including being the first state to set up an S4C, early implementation of e-Zero FIR, and effective use of I4C portals such as Samanvaya, Sahyog, GRM, and MRM. The review was conducted on 6 August to assess state-level adoption of digital platforms developed by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
What is the PRAGATI review for cybercrime?
PRAGATI is a performance review mechanism run by the Prime Minister's Office to assess how effectively states are implementing government initiatives. In this instance, it evaluated states on nine criteria related to cybercrime management and their utilisation of I4C digital platforms, including victim grievance and refund portals.
How can cybercrime victims claim refunds through the MRM?
The Money Restoration Module (MRM) allows victims to claim refunds of up to ₹50,000 per transaction directly, without needing to file an FIR or obtain a court order, subject to applicable guidelines. For amounts above ₹50,000, restoration requires both an FIR and a court order. Citizens in Telangana can call helpline 8712665600 for assistance.
What is the GRM portal and who can use it?
The Grievance Redressal Module (GRM) is a secure digital platform for citizens to register and track grievances related to the freezing or unfreezing of bank accounts during cybercrime investigations. It coordinates between law enforcement agencies and financial institutions such as banks and payment processors to resolve complaints in a timely manner.
Which other states were assessed in the PRAGATI cybercrime review?
The PRAGATI review covered all states and Union Territories, including Jammu & Kashmir, assessing their progress on nine cybercrime performance criteria. Telangana emerged first overall; rankings for other states were not detailed in the available information from the 6 August meeting.
