Parliament Question: Locking of e-Rickshaw Batteries

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2971 TO BE ANSWERED ON: 05.08.2026 LOCKING OF E-RICKSHAW BATTERIES †2971. SMT. KRISHNA DEVI SHIVSHANKAR PATEL: Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state: (a) whether serious issues in respect of locking e-rickshaw batteries through Battery Management Applications (App)(BATT-BMS) has been reported in some districts of Uttar Pradesh; (b) if so, the extent to which this Chinese App is considered to be a security threat; and (c) whether the Government is contemplating to take any additional measures to further strengthen the scrutiny of goods imported from China in view of the said incident and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA) (a) to (c): Government has taken cognizance of reports regarding the misuse of certain Battery Management System (BMS) mobile applications that enabled unauthorised remote control of e- rickshaw batteries. On 3rd July 2026, Government issued orders for removal of such applications on app stores under the relevant provisions of the IT Act, 2000. Further, Government has institutionalised a nationwide integrated and coordinated framework to strengthen cybersecurity and digital resilience across digital ecosystems, which, inter alia, includes: I. National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) under the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) to ensure coordination related to cyber security amongst different agencies. II. The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) is designated as the national agency for responding to cyber security incidents under the provisions of section 70B of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000. III. National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC), implemented by CERT-In, examines the cyberspace to detect cyber security threats. It shares the information with concerned organizations, state governments and stakeholder agencies for taking action. IV. The Government has established National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) for protection of critical information infrastructure in the country under the provisions of section 70A of the IT Act, 2000. V. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019, administered by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, was enacted to modernize the framework governing consumer protection in the era of globalization, technologies, e-commerce markets, etc. VI. ‘Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA)’ project is implemented by MeitY for strengthening human resources in the area of Information Security and creating generalawareness. Awareness material on various aspects of cyber hygiene & cyber security is disseminated through portals such as www.staysafeonline.in,www.infosecawareness.in and www.csk.gov.in. VII. As per Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the Rule 126 of the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989 mandates that every manufacturer or importer of a motor vehicle, including electric vehicles, shall submit the prototype to a testing agency notified under Rule 126. The testing agency issues a Type Approval Certificate certifying compliance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the CMVR, 1989. ******