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To ensure the safe use of online platforms by women and children, the Gujarat Police has launched a 28-day special campaign, 'Operation Surakshit Cyberspace'.
In the first two weeks of the campaign, the Gujarat Police's She-Team and Cyber Cell organised 5,289 awareness programmes across the State, as per the release. Under the guidance of Gujarat Director General of Police GS Malik, 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 (ADGP) Ajay Chaudhary of the CID Crime Women Cell stated that 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. He added that Gujarat Police remains fully committed to the safety and security of every citizen. The programmes organised under Operation Surakshit Cyberspace received an overwhelming response statewide, strengthening citizen awareness and online safety. During the first week, 1,874 cyber awareness and outreach programmes were conducted. In the second week, 3,415 special sessions focused on online threats such as sextortion, deepfakes and cyberstalking. Through these awareness initiatives, Gujarat Police directly reached lakhs of citizens across the state. During the first week of the campaign, Gujarat Police carried out an intensive statewide drive to enhance cyber safety awareness and public outreach. Over seven days, 1,874 awareness programmes and rallies were organised under various initiatives. These included 185 statewide launch events on digital and physical safety, 438 programmes in schools as part of Cyber Safety Day, and 336 awareness activities under Kishori Diwas (Adolescent Girls Day) for adolescent girls. Additionally, 318 awareness programmes were organised for parents, while 281 training sessions were conducted for teachers. At the higher education level, 207 cyber awareness programmes were held in colleges to educate young people about cybercrime prevention. Furthermore, 109 cyber rallies were organised across various districts to promote public participation and spread awareness about digital safety. During the second week of the campaign, the focus shifted from awareness to cybercrime prevention and online safety. A total of 4,172 thematic programmes and public awareness camps were organised across the State to promote the safe use of digital platforms. Of these, the highest number, 743 programmes, were conducted under the 'Social Media Safety' theme to encourage the responsible and secure use of social media. To prevent digital fraud, 578 Deepfake Awareness programmes and 514 Cyberstalking Prevention programmes were organised. Furthermore, 520 special programmes were held under Anti-Sextortion Day to raise awareness about the growing threat of sextortion. As part of online safety initiatives, Gujarat Police also conducted 512 Gaming Safety programmes and 466 Online Grooming Prevention programmes to protect children and youth. Besides these activities, 461 public awareness camps were organised across the State to reach citizens in remote areas. One of the key features of Operation Surakshit Cyberspace is the assignment of specific responsibilities to field officers, from Police Constables, Head Constables and Assistant Sub-Inspectors to Police Sub-Inspectors and Police Inspectors. The performance of all officers is being assessed on five key parameters--awareness, prevention, enforcement, quality of investigation, and public trust. Gujarat Police urged all citizens who become victims of cybercrime or online harassment to report the incident immediately, without fear, by calling the National Cyber Helpline at 1930 and registering their complaint. (ANI)
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