Gujarat Police hold over 5,000 cyber safety awareness programmes for women, children
Gandhinagar, July 21
Gujarat Police have organised more than 5,000 cyber awareness programmes across the state in the first two weeks of a month-long campaign aimed at protecting women and children from online threats, including sextortion, deepfakes, cyberstalking and online grooming.
The 28-day initiative, titled 'Operation Surakshit Cyberspace', has been launched under the state government's cyber safety campaign to promote safer use of digital platforms while strengthening awareness, prevention, enforcement and victim support.
According to Gujarat Police, the She-Team and Cyber Cell conducted a total of 5,289 awareness programmes during the first fortnight of the campaign.
The initiative is being carried out under the supervision of Director General of Police (DGP) G. S. Malik and combines community outreach, technology-based surveillance, victim assistance, cyber awareness and prompt legal action to prevent cybercrime.
CID Crime (Women Cell) Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Ajay Chaudhary said that ensuring the online safety of women and children had become a priority in the digital age.
"Ensuring the online safety of women and children is a top priority in the digital era. Through 'Operation Surakshit Cyberspace', Gujarat Police is creating a safer digital environment by raising awareness about cyber threats such as deepfakes and sextortion. Gujarat Police remains fully committed to the safety and security of every citizen," Chaudhary said.
The campaign reached lakhs of people across Gujarat through a series of awareness drives, educational programmes and public outreach initiatives.
During the first week, Gujarat Police organised 1,874 cyber awareness and outreach programmes.
These included 185 statewide launch events focusing on digital and physical safety, 438 Cyber Safety Day programmes in schools, and 336 Kishori Diwas awareness sessions for adolescent girls.
The police also conducted 318 awareness programmes for parents and 281 training sessions for teachers to help them recognise and respond to cyber risks faced by children.
At the higher education level, 207 cyber awareness programmes were held in colleges to educate students on cybercrime prevention, while 109 cyber rallies were organised in different districts to encourage wider public participation in digital safety initiatives.
In the second week, the campaign shifted its emphasis towards specific forms of cybercrime and online safety.
Gujarat Police organised 4,172 thematic programmes and public awareness camps across the state. The largest number of events, 743, focused on social media safety and responsible online behaviour.
Police also conducted 578 programmes on identifying and preventing deepfake-related crimes, 514 sessions on cyberstalking prevention and 520 awareness programmes under 'Anti-Sextortion Day' to educate citizens about one of the fastest-growing forms of online exploitation.
To address risks faced by young internet users, the campaign included 512 gaming safety programmes and 466 online grooming prevention sessions.
Another 461 public awareness camps were organised to extend the campaign to remote areas of the state.
As part of the initiative, Gujarat Police have assigned defined responsibilities to personnel at every operational level, from police constables, head constables and assistant sub-inspectors to police sub-inspectors and police inspectors.
Officers are being assessed on five parameters: awareness generation, prevention, enforcement, quality of investigation and public trust.
Gujarat Police have urged victims of cybercrime or online harassment to report incidents without delay by calling the National Cyber Helpline and registering a complaint so that timely action can be taken.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is exactly what we needed. My cousin in Rajkot almost fell for an online grooming scam last month - only saved because a teacher had attended a police awareness camp. The fact they're reaching schools, colleges, and even remote areas is brilliant. 4,172 programmes in just the second week? That's not just a campaign, it's a movement. Especially appreciate the focus on "Anti-Sextortion Day" and gaming safety - my nephew spends hours online gaming and we never thought about those risks before.
Good initiative, but why only 28 days? Cyber threats don't take a break after a month! Also, 5,289 programmes for an entire state sounds big, but Gujarat has over 6 crore population. That's roughly one programme per 11,000 people. Need sustained efforts and more grassroots-level volunteers. And please teach women how to report incidents without fear - many don't even know about the National Cyber Helpline. Solid start, but let's make it permanent. 🤔
As someone working in cybersecurity, I'm genuinely impressed. The deepfake detection programmes specifically - that's cutting-edge awareness even many corporate employees lack. What I'd love to see: follow-up surveys to measure if people actually changed their behaviour after these sessions. Also, please include parents of young children more actively; my neighbour's 9-year-old was cyberstalked on a gaming platform and the parents had no clue for weeks. Prevention starts at home, but awareness programmes are the spark. Proud of Gujarat Police for this! 🔥
This is such a proactive step! I moved to Ahmedabad from the UK recently and was shocked to see how many of my Indian friends' kids have unrestricted access to phones and social media. Back home, schools run mandatory cyber safety sessions every term. So glad to see Gujarat Police taking this seriously - the 336 Kishori Diwas sessions for adolescent girls is particularly thoughtful, as they
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