School students sensitised on drugs, cybercrime at Haryana Police event

Panchkula, Nov 11 (PTI) School students were sensitised on contemporary social issues such as drugs, cybercrime and digital discipline at an event organised by Haryana Police here on Tuesday evening, officials said.

The evening dedicated to ‘Gen Alpha’ aimed at bringing school students closer to the system, an official statement said.

The students were informed about the harmful effects of excessive mobile and screen use while being encouraged to maintain digital balance and use technology responsibly so that they grow into conscious and disciplined citizens of the future, it said.

A recent shooting incident in Gurugram has brought forth an urgent need for deep introspection across the state on child safety, conflict resolution, and access to weapons, it said.

A Class-11 student allegedly shot at his classmate with his father's licensed pistol last Saturday. The injured student remains in critical condition.

Police have detained two minors and recovered one pistol, two magazines, and more than 70 live cartridges from the crime scene.

Addressing the students, Haryana Police chief O P Singh urged them to stay away from drugs and avoid spending unnecessary time on screens.

“The purpose of this initiative is to channel the abilities of school head boys and head girls in the right direction. Haryana Police wants the new generation to use their ideas, energy, and creativity to bring about positive changes in society,” he said.

Under the theme ‘An Evening for Gen Alpha’, the students got a firsthand look at how the state's emergency services operate.

Officials explained how Dial 112 functions – from receiving a call to reaching the spot – and how the cyber helpline 1930 prevents growing fraud attempts, especially those targeting digitally-active teenagers, the statement said.

The statement said Haryana Police believes that teenagers today have greater digital, material, and emotional access than ever before, and the solution lies not in fear, but in partnership.

Under the Gen Alpha Platform (GAP), head boys and head girls were formally integrated into three key campaigns – anti-drug awareness, to promote early prevention; safe school movement to empower students to take the lead in addressing bullying, conflicts, and stress; and cybercrime vigilance, focusing on preventing online fraud, blackmailing, and impersonation.

To inspire the students, Olympian officers who joined the force through sports quota interacted with them.

Newly-recruited IPS officers also spoke on goal setting, stress management, balanced use of social media, and confidence building, the statement said. PTI SUN ARI