In 
It is well known fact that security agencies are unable to intercept and monitor BlackBerry signals because of the complex encrypted communication that the service uses and also due to the non-availability of BlackBerry servers in India. This some say can be a potential threat to national security. But there are others who maintain that as BlackBerry services are allowed in many other liberal democracies, they can also be allowed in India.
In the past the Department of Telecom (DoT) has threatened to shut down BlackBerry e-mail and instant messaging services by August 31, 2010 unless Research in Motion (RIM) granted security agencies the technology to decrypt BlackBerry communications. The deadline was extended as BlackBerry refused to play ball. The US govt. is also thought to have mediated on behalf of BlackBerry.
RIM has claimed in the past that it cannot provide Indian agencies with the key to the encrypted messages, as even the company does not have it. After that the issue was forgotten for many months, before flaring up once again. In the most recent instance, the a parliamentary panel has expressed discontent over several extensions given by the DoT to RIM for conducting BlackBerry services in highly encrypted format without a satisfactory solution.
In its latest report, the parliamentary panel says, The committee expresses unhappiness over the way the extension after extension are being given to resolve such an important issue related to security of the country. It has come to light that the government has given three extensions to BlackBerry, with the last date being March 31, 2011.
The report says, The committee has been apprised that out of the various services provided by BlackBerry, the BlackBerry Messenger and BlackBerry Enterprise Solution services cannot be intercepted in readable format, even if the encrypted message is made available by the service providers.
On its part, RIM has highlighted a number of other highly encrypted services being provided in the country by its competitors. The company has sought to make it an industry issue. The government has taken RIMs views into cognisance and set up a committee to come up with mechanism to deal with encryption issues for providing data access to security agencies, which is mandatory under the Indian Telegraph Act.
However, as a nation we also need to start valuing peoples right to privacy. If BlackBerry can function in liberal democracies like UK, USA, Canada, Sweden and others without endangering the national security of those nations, then why cant it be allowed to continue its operations in India? In guise of national security we should not be turning this country into a police state, where every conversation gets tapped.
National security might be important in a limited context, but of much greater importance is peoples right to privacy.
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