Jharkhand’s Jamtara district, infamous as India’s cyber crime hub, is making efforts to tide over the dubious distinction through a unique campaign ‘Police ki Pathshala’ (Police’s School), which aims at imparting quality education and creating awareness about phishing activities.

The drive, a joint initiative of the police and district administration, is being carried out across libraries in 118 panchayats, officials said. “Special focus has been given to 35 libraries of two cyber crime-hit blocks -- Karmatand and Narayanpur. The objective is to make the youths aware about phishing and make them a participant in developmental activities,” Deputy Superintendent of Police (Cyber) Majrul Hoda told PTI.

The campaign also strives to prepare the youths for competitive examinations through expert guidance, he said. “The initiative was started a year back, but it got going in a big way three-four months ago. We are witnessing a gradual drop (in cyber crime cases). Earlier, almost every day, police teams from other states visited the district over phishing cases,” Hoda claimed.

He said an officer from every police station visits the libraries to teach the students. “The college graduates are being trained for competitive examinations. The youths, who were earlier lured to cyber crime activities, are now concentrating on bagging respectable jobs. We are also identifying more avenues of livelihood such as agriculture-based employment,” Hoda said.

Many students, who were a part of ‘Police ki Pathshala’, have cracked competitive tests. “The officers in the library helped me a lot in preparing for a railway examination and cracking it,” said Mahesh Munda, a resident of Nala block in the district. Deepak Singh, hailing from the same block, was recently selected for the Indian Reserve Battalion.

“The library and police guidance helped me achieve my dream,” he said. Jamtara, located aroud 210-km from state capital Ranchi, had reported 76 cases of cyber crime and 187 fraudsters were arrested in 2021. As many as 72 cases have been registered till August this year, and 97 people arrested in this connection, police said.

Rampant phishing in the district was also the subject of a recent web series. The place has long been associated with the 19th century polymath and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, who had come to Karmatand area of Jamtara in early 1873 to recuperate from poor health, and ended up spending over 18 years in the village. “The police and the administration are trying to regain the past glory of the district,” Hoda added.?