Karnataka launches Digital Nagarik programme in govt. schools to enhance cybersecurity awareness among children

To create awareness about cybersecurity and digital safety among students, the Karnataka government has begun a Digital Nagarik programme in all government primary and high schools of the State. Around 1 lakh teachers and 10 lakh students from classes 6 to 10 will benefit from the programme and will be made aware of safe internet use, cyber safety rules, online etiquette, digital rights, responsibilities and data privacy.

The programme is taken up in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Education and the social media giant Meta. A successful pilot was conducted in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Belagavi and Dakshina Kannada districts in 2024-25.

As part of the initiative, the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) will initially train 1,00,000 teachers using the DISHA portal, who will subsequently raise awareness among students. The training for teachers commenced on November 15.

To create awareness about digital safety, a host of activities, including awareness campaigns, classroom sessions, poster competitions, and student-led drives, have been planned as part of the Digital Nagarik programme. A Digital Nagrik Toolkit will be shared to help schools plan initiatives that promote safe and responsible online behaviour. Schools are encouraged to nominate student leaders as Digital Nagrik Ambassadors to lead these activities. Top-performing schools and Digital Nagrik Ambassadors will be recognised and featured for their outstanding contributions.

The programme comes in the backdrop of increased usage of smartphones and the internet by children, especially after the pandemic, when classes were also shifted online. “In recent years, children have been spending more time online after school. There seems to be no proper monitoring of this. Due to this, cases of digital bullying, phishing, and morphing targeting children have also shot up. In this context, it is imperative to create awareness among children about cybersecurity and digital safety, and the Digital Nagarik programme is an initiative in this direction,” said Gopalakrishna H.N., Director, DSERT.