More than 40 lakh students, teachers, parents, and police personnel participated in a statewide cyber awareness campaign organised by the Odisha government on 14 August 2025, making it one of the largest such drives in the state's history. The initiative, aimed at combating rising cybercrime and fostering responsible digital behaviour among young people, reached over 20,000 schools and more than 2,000 colleges across 35 police districts through live webcast and video conferencing.

How the Campaign Was Organised

The drive was coordinated by the Odisha Police in collaboration with the School and Mass Education Department and the Higher Education Department, and was held under the chairmanship of Odisha Director General of Police (Crime Branch) Vinaytosh Mishra. The scale of the event — spanning districts simultaneously via digital infrastructure — reflects the state's push to mainstream cyber literacy ahead of the academic year.

Key Warnings and Advisories Issued

Participants were advised that banks, government offices, and police officials never ask for OTPs, PINs, CVVs, or passwords, and were cautioned against sharing such details under any circumstances. The campaign specifically flagged the growing menace of 'digital arrest' scams, urging people to report any money demands made under that pretext by dialling 1930 — the national cybercrime helpline.

Students facing online blackmail or digital exploitation were counselled not to panic or pay, but to immediately alert parents, teachers, or police and preserve digital evidence. Officials noted that early reporting significantly improves the chances of intercepting fraudulent fund transfers and recovering lost money via the cybercrime.gov.in portal.

What Leaders Said

Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati urged students to remain alert and informed about cyber security threats. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted the role of youth in building a cyber-safe Odisha, calling on them to act as 'ambassadors of cyber awareness' within their families, peer groups, and communities.

According to an official statement, young people are increasingly falling victim to online fraud, blackmail, and digital exploitation. In some cases, individuals have unknowingly made their bank accounts, SIM cards, or identity documents available for misuse by cybercriminals — a trend that underscores the urgency of grassroots awareness.

The Broader Context

This campaign comes amid a national surge in cybercrime complaints, with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) recording a sharp rise in financial fraud cases targeting students and first-time digital users. Odisha's model — leveraging existing school and college networks for mass outreach — mirrors similar state-level drives in Telangana and Maharashtra, though the 40-lakh-plus participation figure is notably large for a single-day event.

The campaign concluded with a collective pledge to carry cyber awareness to the grassroots, under the banner: 'Stay Aware, Stay Safe — Cyber-Safe Odisha.' Whether the messaging translates into sustained behavioural change will depend on follow-up engagement at the school and district level.