Gujarat Police run 5,289 cyber safety drives for women, children in 2 weeks
Synopsis
In just two weeks, Gujarat Police have run over 5,289 cyber awareness sessions under 'Operation Surakshit Cyberspace' — covering schools, colleges, remote villages, and dedicated Anti-Sextortion Day drives. The scale and specificity of the campaign, from gaming safety to deepfake literacy, signals a structural shift in how Indian state police are approaching digital crime prevention.
Key Takeaways
Gujarat Police conducted 5,289 cyber awareness programmes in the first two weeks of 'Operation Surakshit Cyberspace' .
The 28-day campaign targets online threats including sextortion, deepfakes, cyberstalking , and online grooming affecting women and children.
Week one covered 1,874 sessions in schools, colleges, and for parents and teachers; week two scaled to 4,172 thematic programmes .
743 sessions focused on social media safety; 520 were held under a dedicated Anti-Sextortion Day .
The campaign is supervised by DGP G.
Malik and implemented jointly by the She-Team and Cyber Cell .
Victims are urged to report incidents via the National Cyber Helpline for prompt legal action.
Gujarat Police have conducted 5,289 cyber awareness programmes across the state in the first two weeks of 'Operation Surakshit Cyberspace', a 28-day campaign launched to shield women and children from online threats including sextortion, deepfakes, cyberstalking, and online grooming. The initiative, anchored in Gandhinagar, combines community outreach, technology-based surveillance, victim support, and legal enforcement.
Scale and Reach of the Campaign
The campaign is being executed under the supervision of Director General of Police (DGP) G. S. Malik, with the She-Team and Cyber Cell jointly driving ground-level implementation. According to Gujarat Police, the outreach has already reached lakhs of residents across urban and rural parts of the state through awareness drives, educational sessions, and public camps.
The campaign assigns defined responsibilities to personnel at every rank — from constables and head constables to sub-inspectors and police inspectors — and evaluates them on five parameters: awareness generation, prevention, enforcement, quality of investigation, and public trust.
Week One: Foundations in Schools and Colleges
During the first week, Gujarat Police organised 1,874 programmes. These included 185 statewide launch events covering digital and physical safety, 438 Cyber Safety Day sessions in schools, and 336 Kishori Diwas awareness sessions specifically for adolescent girls.
The outreach extended to 318 programmes for parents and 281 training sessions for teachers to help them identify and respond to cyber risks facing children. At the higher education level, 207 college programmes were held on cybercrime prevention, alongside 109 cyber rallies across districts to encourage broader public participation.
Week Two: Targeting Specific Cyber Threats
The second week saw the campaign pivot to thematic, crime-specific programming, with 4,172 sessions held statewide. The largest cohort — 743 programmes — focused on social media safety and responsible online behaviour.
Police conducted 578 sessions on identifying and countering deepfake-related crimes, 514 on cyberstalking prevention, and 520 programmes under a dedicated 'Anti-Sextortion Day' to educate citizens about one of the fastest-growing forms of online exploitation. Younger internet users were addressed through 512 gaming safety sessions and 466 online grooming prevention workshops. An additional 461 public awareness camps were held to extend coverage to remote areas.
What the Police Said
CID Crime (Women Cell) Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Ajay Chaudhary underscored the urgency of the effort. '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.
How to Report Cybercrime
Gujarat Police have urged victims of cybercrime or online harassment to report incidents promptly by calling the National Cyber Helpline and filing a formal complaint to enable timely action. The campaign is ongoing, with the remaining fortnight expected to intensify enforcement and victim-assistance components.
Point of View
000 sessions in a fortnight — is notable, but volume alone does not measure impact. The campaign's real test lies in whether it shifts reporting behaviour: India's cybercrime conviction rates remain low partly because victims, especially women, do not come forward. Gujarat's decision to evaluate officers on 'public trust' as a formal metric is an interesting structural move, but without published outcome data — complaints filed, cases registered, convictions secured — 'Operation Surakshit Cyberspace' risks being a well-intentioned awareness blitz that does not translate into measurable safety gains.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Operation Surakshit Cyberspace?
Operation Surakshit Cyberspace is a 28-day cyber safety campaign launched by Gujarat Police to protect women and children from online threats including sextortion, deepfakes, cyberstalking, and online grooming. It combines community outreach, technology-based surveillance, victim support, and legal enforcement across the state.
How many cyber awareness programmes has Gujarat Police conducted so far?
Gujarat Police conducted 5,289 cyber awareness programmes in the first two weeks of the campaign. Week one saw 1,874 sessions and week two expanded to 4,172 thematic programmes targeting specific forms of cybercrime.
Who is overseeing the campaign?
The campaign is being conducted under the supervision of Director General of Police (DGP) G. S. Malik. CID Crime (Women Cell) ADGP Ajay Chaudhary is a key spokesperson and has emphasised that online safety for women and children is a top police priority.
What specific cyber threats does the campaign address?
The campaign covers sextortion, deepfake-related crimes, cyberstalking, online grooming, and social media safety. Dedicated sessions were held for each threat category, including a specific Anti-Sextortion Day with 520 programmes and 578 deepfake awareness sessions.
How can victims of cybercrime report incidents in Gujarat?
Gujarat Police have urged victims to call the National Cyber Helpline and register a formal complaint without delay to enable timely legal action. The campaign's enforcement component is designed to support prompt follow-up on reported cases.
