Silchar, Assam: The Cachar District Administration has put the spotlight squarely on the urgent need for robust digital safety measures, particularly for vulnerable women and children. Speaking at a District-Level Stakeholder Consultation in Silchar on Wednesday, District Commissioner Mridul Yadav, IAS, asserted that “A strong and coordinated strategy of prevention and response is essential for ensuring digital safety and safeguarding our women and children.”
The consultation, held under the ’16 Days Campaign to End Violence Against Women,’ reinforced the district’s commitment to collective action in building safer online spaces.
The Two-Pronged Approach: Prevention and Swift Response
DC Yadav highlighted that in today’s world, digital spaces are as critical as physical ones, often serving as the primary point of contact for the youth. Expressing deep concern over the vulnerability of children and women to online misuse, he stressed that unchecked online threats can quickly escalate into real-life harm without timely institutional intervention.
1. Focus on Prevention: Grassroots Digital Literacy
The District Commissioner emphasized that the first step must be prevention at the grassroots level. This includes:
- Strong awareness campaigns for families and communities.
- Digital literacy training to recognize risks.
- Proactive monitoring of online behavior for early signs of exploitation.
“Schools, parents, community workers, and administrative departments need to collectively build an environment where children are guided on safe online practices, understand the risks of unknown links, online friendships, and suspicious digital interactions, and know when to seek help,” DC Yadav stated.
2. Swift and Victim-Centric Response
Beyond prevention, DC Yadav underscored the necessity of swift, coordinated, and victim-centric response mechanisms.
Noting the rising tide of cyberbullying, phishing, online harassment, and financial fraud, he pointed out that many victims hesitate to report incidents. He strongly encouraged all departments to ensure that every case, regardless of its perceived magnitude, is taken seriously and addressed through proper channels involving the Police, legal authorities, counselors, and social protection units.
Connecting Digital Safety to Wider Social Issues
The District Commissioner drew a direct link between unchecked online interactions and grave social issues like child marriage and elopement. He stressed that an alert administration, vigilant parents, and well-informed educators are key to significantly reducing such incidents.
He urged stakeholders to immediately integrate crucial tools into their regular operations:
- Digital monitoring tools.
- Community awareness campaigns.
- District-wide sensitisation programmes.
🤝 Inter-Departmental Synergy is Key
DC Yadav made it clear that digital safety is not the job of a single unit. He highlighted the critical need for constant communication and synergy between the Police Department, Women and Child Development, DLSA, DCPU, Education Department, and support structures like the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and One Stop Centre (OSC).
Looking Ahead: Anticipating Emerging Online Risks
Calling for a forward-looking approach, the DC urged stakeholders to view cyber protection as a cornerstone of modern governance that must continuously evolve to keep pace with new forms of online manipulation and abuse.
“Our responsibility is not just to react but to anticipate emerging risks, strengthen our systems, and empower every individual, especially women and children, to navigate the digital world safely,” he concluded.
The successful consultation, organized by the Sankalp Hub for Empowerment of Women, Cachar, saw robust participation from key stakeholders including the Police, DLSA, Health Department, NGOs, and the Local Complaint Committee (POSH). The discussions were wide-ranging, covering legal safeguards, financial digital safety, and workplace rights under the POSH Act, 2013, significantly enhancing the district’s collective readiness to tackle current and future digital challenges.
