HP: Bilaspur district admin to develop cybersecurity guidelines for protection of adolescents

Bilaspur (HP), Feb 26 (PTI) The Bilaspur administration on Thursday said it would soon release guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to ensure cybersecurity of adolescents in the district.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the District-Level Committee on Cybersecurity, held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar.

"This initiative will make Bilaspur the first district in the country to develop a structured and institutionalised cybersecurity framework to protect adolescents," Kumar said.

Addressing the meeting, the deputy commissioner said, "With the use of digital media increasing rapidly, adolescents are being affected the most. While opportunities have expanded, the digital space also poses serious challenges such as online grooming, cyberbullying, fake profiles, identity theft, gaming addiction and cyber fraud. Consequently, there is a need for a clear, effective and actionable SOP at the district level." He said the draft cybersecurity guidelines and SOP will be released at the state-level Nalwari Fair in March.

"This will help in establishing cybersecurity protocols for schools, colleges, industrial training institutes and other educational institutions," the deputy commissioner said.

"We will develop a system for teachers to report suspicious activities and extend counselling mechanisms and psychosocial support. We will develop digital parenting guidelines for families to ensure positive and responsible monitoring of their children's online activities," Kumar said.

The discussion was organised by the Indian Red Cross Society's Bilaspur branch and Matri Sudha Charitable Trust in New Delhi.

Technical support for the initiative is being provided by Arvind Singh, director of Matri Sudha and co-founder of Cyber Chakravyuh, a club actively involved in ensuring child and women safety, digital security and social empowerment.

The District Red Cross Society has been designated as the nodal agency for the entire process and will coordinate with various departments and ensure implementation.

It was decided that a committee, chaired by the deputy commissioner, would be constituted to develop the cybersecurity guidelines and the SOP. This committee will include representatives from the education department, police department, women and child development department, social justice and empowerment department, information technology experts and child protection units. Kumar said the initiative will not be limited to awareness programmes alone, but will be institutionalised to ensure long-term impact.

"Digital safety of adolescents is a priority for the administration, and requires the collective participation of the administration, police, teachers, parents and all sections of society," he said. PTI COR RUK RUK