Lucknow: In a bid to strengthen cyber security awareness in rural areas, cyber crime experts and self-help groups have collaborated with the Uttar Pradesh authorities for a ‘Cyber Panchayat’. The initiative aims to educate villagers about the growing threat of cyber fraud and guide them on how to protect themselves from online scams.
As part of the campaign, a two-day ‘Cyber Panchayat’ was organised Tuesday and Wednesday in Gram Kathwara of Bakshi Ka Talab in Lucknow district. The programme brought together villagers, cyber safety experts and social organisations to discuss the increasing penetration of cyber crime into rural India and ways to counter it.Uttar Pradesh reported 11,073 cyber crime cases in 2024, averaging nearly 30 incidents a day, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data.
The NCRB figures indicate a consistent rise in cybercrime cases in the state over the last three years. The state recorded 10,117 cases in 2022, which rose to 10,794 in 2023 and further increased to 11,073 in 2024. This is an addition of 279 cases compared to 2024.According to a senior UP Police official, cyber crime is no longer confined to urban areas. “Cyber fraud now reaches villages through smartphones and digital platforms. Farmers, homemakers, students, shopkeepers and senior citizens have increasingly become targets. This campaign is led by self help groups with the backing of UP police aimed at ensuring that rural communities are not left vulnerable in the digital age. After conducting workshops they will adopt villages as a pilot project to make them ‘cyber crime-free village’. The role of police will be to provide permissions and resources from local police stations, the official said.A ‘Cyber Panchayat’ was organised Tuesday and Wednesday in Gram Kathwara of Bakshi Ka Talab in Lucknow district | By special arrangement
