Srinagar: To raise awareness on cyber frauds and promote digital literacy among youth, the Institute of Technology (IoT), Zakura Campus, University of Kashmir (KU), in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India (GoI), organised a one-day awareness workshop on ‘Cyber Frauds and the Sanchar Saathi Initiative.’
The primary aim of the workshop was to equip students and faculty with practical knowledge to navigate the complex digital space. Through expert talks and interactive demonstrations, the session aimed to sensitize participants about various forms of online fraud, preventive safety measures, and government-supported platforms such as Sanchar Saathi.
Addressing the participants, Khushwant Rai, Additional Director General, J&K, DoT, GoI highlighted the alarming rise in online frauds and said, “There is an urgent need to equip every citizen, especially students, with the right information and tools to stay safe in the digital world.”
Rahul Sachan, Deputy Director General (Security) DoT, gave a detailed overview of cyber threats like SIM cloning, phishing, and identity theft. He emphasized that understanding such threats and adopting preventive measures is key to digital safety.
Director IoT Zakura Campus KU, Prof. M. Tariq Banday, in his address, said that digital hygiene is essential and called on students to take ownership of their online safety. Mirdul Gupta, Junior Telecom Officer (Technical), DoT presented a live demonstration of the Sanchar Saathi portal and explained the use of tools such as the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) to trace or block lost and stolen phones, and TAFCOP to identify unauthorised mobile connections.
As a special gesture, six student volunteers were felicitated as ‘Sanchar Saathi Mitras’ for their contribution to spreading cyber safety awareness over the past year.
The workshop witnessed participation from faculty, scholars and students from the campus. Dr. Bilal Ahmad Malik, Coordinator, Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE), IoT Zakura Campus KU organised the workshop and also conducted the event proceedings and delivered a formal vote of thanks on the occasion.
