THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government has moved to intensify its cybercrime prevention framework and broaden public awareness regarding online fraud under the state police’s ‘Cyber Safe Kerala’ initiative. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala informed the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that a dedicated monitoring dashboard will be launched in the first week of November to track the daily registration and progress of First Information Reports at police stations. Addressing the House during Question Hour, the minister observed that Kerala’s high literacy rate has not automatically translated into digital literacy, leaving educated citizens susceptible to digital fraud due to an inability to identify emerging online risks.
Digital Dashboard and Public Access System to Track Police Cases
The planned dashboard will provide the Home Minister’s Office with direct oversight of daily FIR filings across local stations, ensuring that case investigations are reviewed and recorded in an orderly manner. Alongside this monitoring mechanism, the administration is preparing to roll out an ‘HM Acts’ system designed to make information on police action directly accessible to the public. The twin platforms aim to enhance administrative accountability while keeping citizens informed of operational developments in ongoing investigations.
Beyond institutional monitoring, the state’s strategy focuses heavily on promoting responsible digital conduct among young users. With social media and online gaming experiencing substantial growth, authorities plan to guide young internet users through structured educational campaigns to help them recognise predatory practices and deceptive digital environments.
Campaign to Counter Artificial Intelligence Misuse and Cyber Threats
The initiative places particular emphasis on emerging technological risks, most notably the misuse of artificial intelligence to generate fraudulent videos and imagery. Such manipulated media presents growing challenges for verification, as perpetrators frequently deploy synthetic content to mislead citizens and carry out financial deception. The broader awareness agenda will simultaneously tackle online financial fraud, cyberbullying, misinformation, social media exploitation, and personal data security.
Safeguarding children remains an essential component of the preventive strategy. The minister expressed concern over minors being exposed to violent digital media and the hazards linked to prolonged online gaming. The state intends to conduct focused outreach to help younger demographics grasp digital vulnerabilities and cultivate balanced online habits.
Engineering Students to Lead Grassroots Outreach Across 1,200 Villages
To extend the programme beyond urban areas, the government plans to mobilise students from 150 engineering colleges to run cyber literacy drives across 1,200 villages. The student-led campaign will educate rural residents on identifying suspicious web interactions, shielding personal information, and avoiding common financial scams.
The administration is also advancing plans to establish Cyber Resilience Centres in collaboration with law enforcement, academic institutions, and industry stakeholders. These specialised centres are intended to build technical response capacity across Kerala, establishing a coordinated defence among public and private entities to mitigate evolving cyber threats statewide.
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