Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 17: A total of 91 Government department websites in Jammu and Kashmir remained out of public access after being made non-operational in May this year.
As per an official response under the Right to Information (RTI) Act-a copy of which is lying with Excelsior-the websites are not operational due to the absence of the mandatory “Safe to Host” security certification.
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In a reply dated August 13, 2025, the Jammu & Kashmir e-Governance Agency (JaKeGA) confirmed that these websites have been inaccessible since May this year.
The move, according to the agency, was necessary as several Government departments had failed to conduct the mandatory security audit of their websites, a requirement to safeguard official portals from cyber threats.
“As on date, 91 websites are still in non-working condition due to the non-availability of a Safe to Host certificate,” the RTI reply stated.
About the security audits, which it said, is in progress, the JaKeGA informed RTI applicant Syed Adil that Government departments are presently undergoing security audits through agencies empaneled with the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN).
It has been stated that websites hosted at the Jammu and Kashmir State Data Centre (JKSDC) that do not possess a valid “Safe to Host” certificate are also being reviewed through a special audit by an independent third-party auditor appointed by the J&K Government.
However, the RTI reply indicated that temporary measures or alternative platforms for citizens to access essential services have not been provided by JaKeGA.
The agency, as per the reply, clarified that such arrangements, if any, can only be confirmed by the individual departments concerned.
Similarly, JaKeGA, in response to the RTI request, did not provide a timeline for the development of new websites or platforms that might replace or consolidate the affected portals, stating that this responsibility lies with the respective departments.
It is to be noted here that the prolonged unavailability of Government websites since May has sparked concerns over access to public services and digital governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Many of these websites serve as crucial gateways for information related to welfare schemes, recruitment notifications, tenders, and public grievances and services.
Digital policy experts warned that extended downtime undermines the Government’s e-governance mission and causes unnecessary inconvenience to citizens who increasingly depend on online services for day-to-day needs.
Though assurance has been given that the process of certification and audits is underway, no specific timeline has been committed for the restoration of services.
For now, departments and JaKeGA remained in the process of fulfilling mandatory compliance requirements to bring the affected websites back online safely.
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