New Delhi, March 13 (NationPress) - Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan emphasized the urgent need for a unified national approach to tackle the increasing threats of digital crimes targeting women and children, as stated by an official on Friday.

During the launch of the ‘National Dialogue on Online Crimes Against Women and Children (OCWC)’, Govind Mohan pointed out the rising challenges from online criminal activities and stressed the importance of enhancing institutional capabilities at both the State and Union Territory levels to effectively address these offenses.

This National Dialogue serves as a vital platform for sharing knowledge, exchanging best practices, and collectively formulating a coordinated national strategy to confront the ever-evolving threats in the digital landscape.

The Union Home Secretary urged all States and UTs to establish strong, specialized units along with coordinated response mechanisms to ensure timely investigations, victim assistance, and rapid actions against offenders.

Govind Mohan directed law enforcement agencies across all States and Union Territories to prioritize online crimes affecting women and children, ensuring a swift and synchronized response to such incidents.

He called upon IT intermediaries to strictly follow the guidelines outlined in the Information Technology Act and related regulations, encouraging all stakeholders to collaborate towards fostering a secure and safe digital environment.

The event was orchestrated by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), part of the Ministry of Home Affairs, aiming to unite key stakeholders to discuss enhancing coordinated efforts to prevent and effectively address online crimes targeted at women and children, as per a statement.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Union government is steadfast in its commitment to bolstering institutional frameworks and promoting collaboration among all parties to ensure a safe, secure, and respectful digital space for women and children nationwide, according to the Home Ministry's statement.

The inauguration also marked the commencement of the Master Trainers Induction Programme for States and Union Territories concerning Online Crimes Against Women and Children, aimed at establishing a national pool of trained officers responsible for leading capacity-building initiatives in their respective regions.

This program is designed to equip selected officers with specialized knowledge, investigative skills, and best practices necessary to tackle emerging cyber threats against women and children.

These officers will subsequently train law enforcement personnel at state and district levels, thereby fortifying the nation's response framework to such crimes.

The National Dialogue saw participation from senior officials from State and UT Law Enforcement Agencies, representatives from relevant Central Ministries and Departments, social media platforms, Internet service providers, academia, civil society organizations, legal experts, and student representatives.