15% drivers in ride booking apps must be women, High Court tells Rajasthan govt

The court has issued as many as 35 directions to the state government, banks, financial institutions, e-commerce companies, and related to gig workers, among others. The court directed the state to establish a Rajasthan Cyber Crime Control Centre along the lines of the central government’s Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C). The court noted that the office of Director General, Cyber Crimes, was created in the state in 2024, yet “no proper system is in place to control, investigate cyber crimes and take other measures in the state of Rajasthan.”

The court has directed that all dead/inactive bank accounts be put under “strict vigil” and their KYC be done again, while directing Additional Chief Secretary, Home, to instruct all banks, etc. to conduct physical inspection/verification of such account holders while doing the KYC. The ACS has also been instructed to direct banking and financial institutions not to permit and/or stop internet banking facilities for “suspicious accounts”, as well as those that have annual transactions of less than Rs 50,000 per year in the last three years.

The court has also directed that instructions should be given to regulate the sale and purchase of original and second-hand digital devices. While no person should be issued more than three SIM cards in the state, a fourth may be issued after the necessary checks and verifications, the court said.

Next, the court has said that all gig workers must be registered with DG Cyber and a common uniform/dress with a QR code and ID card for their identification should be made mandatory from February 1 next year, and that all gig workers will have to carry their ID cards “while performing their duties and shall produce them as and when demanded by authorities or consumers”.

Moreover, all gig workers “must be compulsorily registered with the state Transport Department with a commercial number plate”.

For the safety of female passengers, the government has been asked to encourage ride booking companies to have at least 15% female drivers in the next six months, which would be increased to 25% in the next 2-3 years, and that female passengers must have the preference, in the software, to opt for female drivers first.

Additionally, the government has been asked to appoint at least one Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) in each district, who has technical and other knowledge, including experience to deal the issue of cyber crimes, as well as IT Inspectors, who must have the IT qualifications required to handle, monitor, detect, prevent, and investigate cyber crimes with required experience of the field.

For financial institutions, the court has instructed the government to ensure that all nationalised and private banks, fintech companies etc., along with the RBI authorities in the state, “strictly act to control and monitor mule accounts in the state,” and that they must use the “Mule Hunter (AI) tool as developed by RBI and other AI tools and other softwares, etc. to detect mule accounts and trace mule money.”

For children, the court has instructed the government to come out with a detailed circular/SOP regarding the use of smartphones and/or for use of keypad phones in schools for children up to class 9 or below the age of 16 years.

Citing data from a report by the Standing Committee on Home Affairs, the court said that 26,049 complaints were reported in 2019, and the conversion into FIRs was 1,032, which has increased to 20,33,316 complaints and the conversion into FIRs is at 49,532. “This shows that in the last five years, the number of complaints have grown manifold. However, the conversion into FIR is very low,” the court noted.