5,289 cyber awareness programmes held across Gujarat

The Gujarat police has organised 5,289 cyber safety awareness programmes across the State in the first two weeks of its 28-day special campaign, Operation Surakshit Cyberspace, aimed at ensuring the safe use of online platforms by women and children.

The campaign focuses on preventing cybercrime through community engagement, technology-driven surveillance, victim outreach, cyber awareness and prompt legal action.

Additional Director General of Police (CID Crime Women Cell) Ajay Chaudhary said ensuring the online safety of women and children was a 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,” he said.

According to the police, 1,874 awareness and outreach programmes were organised during the first week, followed by 3,415 special sessions in the second week focusing on online threats such as sextortion, deepfakes and cyberstalking. The programmes reached lakhs of citizens across the State.

During the first week, the campaign included 185 launch events on digital and physical safety, 438 Cyber Safety Day programmes in schools, and 336 awareness activities under Kishori Diwas for adolescent girls. The police also conducted 318 programmes for parents, 281 training sessions for teachers, 207 awareness programmes in colleges and organised 109 cyber safety rallies across districts.

In the second week, Gujarat Police organised 4,172 thematic programmes and public awareness camps. These included 743 programmes on social media safety, 578 deepfake awareness sessions, 514 cyberstalking prevention programmes and 520 events under Anti-Sextortion Day.

The police also conducted 512 gaming safety programmes, 466 online grooming prevention sessions and 461 public awareness camps in remote areas.

As part of the campaign, responsibilities have been assigned to field officers ranging from police constables and head constables to assistant sub-inspectors, police sub-inspectors and police inspectors. Their performance is being assessed on five parameters: awareness, prevention, enforcement, quality of investigation and public trust.

They appealed to citizens to report cybercrime or online harassment immediately by calling the National Cyber Helpline at 1930 and registering a complaint.