Bengaluru, Karnataka IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge on Thursday launched the 'Digital Nagarik' program aimed at creating awareness on cybersecurity at the grassroots level in the state.
Introducing the 'Digital Nagarik' and AR-VR skill programme, he said the Karnataka government recognized the urgent need to address cybersecurity awareness among the people and came up with this initiative.
Speaking at the launch, Kharge said, "Today we embark on this crucial journey towards a cyber safe Karnataka. The Digital Nagrik campaign is not just about teaching our children how to create strong passwords or how to recognize phishing scams - it is about instilling in them a mentality of vigilance and responsibility that will accompany them for life.
Through the programme, the Karnataka government plans to train 1 lakh teachers and 10 lakh students with digital security knowledge and augmented reality/virtual reality (AR-VR) skills by 2025, he added.
"We are committed to providing our students with the education they need to protect themselves from the ever-evolving threats lurking in the cyber landscape," Kharge said.
According to him, the government signed a two-year partnership with Meta in November 2023. He also said that Karnataka is the first state in India to collaborate with Meta in this regard.
Under this online safety initiative, 10 lakh students aged between 18 and 24 years from different PU schools and colleges across the state will be trained in digital awareness. Meta will also train and deploy expert trainers in these PU schools, colleges and universities, who in turn will train students in digital security knowledge and AR-VR skills.
Also present at the launch were Ekroop Caur, Secretary IT&BT, Government of Karnataka; Cavery, Commissioner of Public Instruction; Srikar M S, Principal Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Sindhu B Rupesh, director, PU Board; Prianka Rao, Public Policy Manager, India, Meta and Shivang Raina, Public Policy Manager, India, Meta, as well as department heads of ITBT and education.
In the first phase of implementation, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada will be covered and the remaining districts will be covered in the next phase of implementation, the Minister said.
The comprehensive curriculum designed for the program includes workshops, seminars and hands-on activities to engage students of all ages, in addition to the lessons taught in the classroom. These workshops will be conducted in both Kannada and English to make them accessible to all sections of the population of the state.
Introducing the 'Digital Nagarik' and AR-VR skill programme, he said the Karnataka government recognized the urgent need to address cybersecurity awareness among the people and came up with this initiative.
Speaking at the launch, Kharge said, "Today we embark on this crucial journey towards a cyber safe Karnataka. The Digital Nagrik campaign is not just about teaching our children how to create strong passwords or how to recognize phishing scams - it is about instilling in them a mentality of vigilance and responsibility that will accompany them for life.
Through the programme, the Karnataka government plans to train 1 lakh teachers and 10 lakh students with digital security knowledge and augmented reality/virtual reality (AR-VR) skills by 2025, he added.
"We are committed to providing our students with the education they need to protect themselves from the ever-evolving threats lurking in the cyber landscape," Kharge said.
According to him, the government signed a two-year partnership with Meta in November 2023. He also said that Karnataka is the first state in India to collaborate with Meta in this regard.
Under this online safety initiative, 10 lakh students aged between 18 and 24 years from different PU schools and colleges across the state will be trained in digital awareness. Meta will also train and deploy expert trainers in these PU schools, colleges and universities, who in turn will train students in digital security knowledge and AR-VR skills.
Also present at the launch were Ekroop Caur, Secretary IT&BT, Government of Karnataka; Cavery, Commissioner of Public Instruction; Srikar M S, Principal Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Sindhu B Rupesh, director, PU Board; Prianka Rao, Public Policy Manager, India, Meta and Shivang Raina, Public Policy Manager, India, Meta, as well as department heads of ITBT and education.
In the first phase of implementation, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kalaburagi, Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada will be covered and the remaining districts will be covered in the next phase of implementation, the Minister said.
The comprehensive curriculum designed for the program includes workshops, seminars and hands-on activities to engage students of all ages, in addition to the lessons taught in the classroom. These workshops will be conducted in both Kannada and English to make them accessible to all sections of the population of the state.
