The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs has taken a significant step to strengthen the cyber awareness among the young internet users by launching a nationwide initiative to promote cyber safety and cyber hygiene in schools across the country. For this it has collaborated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), in a commendable initiative, has issued an advisory to all its affiliated schools to promote cyber safety by introducing structured cyber awareness activities for students, teachers, and parents.
The move comes as children and teenagers are spending more time online than ever before. While the internet has opened new opportunities for learning and communication, it has also exposed young users to a growing range of cyber threats, including cyberbullying, online grooming, identity theft, social media misuse, gaming-related risks and financial frauds. Also, schools and children can effectively carry the message of cybercrime prevention to their parents and families.
I4C has developed a range of educational resources and engagement activities that schools can use to build safer digital habits among their communities, which have been highlighted in the CBSE circular.
As part of the initiative, schools are provided the flexibility to carry out various activities to enhance awareness and engagement of users. Some of these activities include:
- Advertising Cyber Hygiene Certificate Course by I4C. This is a brief (2.5 hrs), online course designed to enhance additional awareness of cyber risks and safe practices online.
- Encouraging students and parents to commit to the responsible use of social media by signing the Cyber Safety Pledge.
- Posting Cyber Safety advisories and educational materials on the Parent Portal.
- Creating Cyber Clubs in schools to promote the awareness campaign by conducting quizzes, debates, poster-making competitions, pledge drives and awareness sessions.
- Conducting Cyber awareness activities every month on the “Cyber Jagrookta Diwas” to maintain the momentum.
- Sharing Cyber Safety advisories, posters, booklets, videos, and multilingual IEC resources made by I4C on the school website, the school newsletter, the school’s digital notice board and the school’s social media pages.
The initiative also seeks to encourage meaningful conversations around digital responsibility and online safety, ensuring that children are equipped not only to use technology effectively but also to recognise and respond to cyber risks.
