SHUBHANGI SHIFA
Ranchi, Nov 21: The Jharkhand University of Technology (JUT) and the Cybervidyapeeth Foundation, under the aegis of the Jharkhand Department of Higher and Technical Education on Monday organised a workshop on ‘Plan for Promoting Jharkhand as Cyber Defence Corridor of the World’.
The aim of the workshop was to get stakeholders from academia, industries and government coming on a single platform and sharing ideas to turn Jharkhand into a corridor for Cyber Security. Furthermore, the role of the workshop was to guide educators and policymakers regarding framing the curriculum in the light of NEP 2020 in order to develop a pool of human resources.
Speaking on the occasion, keynote speaker Dr Sanjay Bahl, Director General, CERT-In said, “In the short term, it is important to create awareness across the state regarding what to do and why it is important to do this. Schools in Goa have even introduced teachings about Cyber Security and Cyber awareness as early as VIth class.” Furthermore, he pointed out how data plays an important role in envisioning the policies from the side of the government.
Dr Amit Sharma, Advisor (Cyber) and Director in the Department of Defense (R&D) pointed out that fundamentals are essential for cyber security. “The first and foremost requirement for developing Cyber Security manpower is to provide a clear understanding of fundamentals and foundation. For this, it is important to train the trainers and capacity building of faculty,” he added.
He further said, “With regard to the courses, in case of graduation and B.Tech courses, one can begin with using LINUX, as it helps in understanding the overall system.” He also advised that educators be trained comprehensively for six months for a cyber security course to be introduced next year and be given exposure to working with industries to create a stronger base and cyber awareness among students. He further suggested that industry experts be invited for a proper discussion and help form a curriculum so that it is skill based and fulfills all requirements of industries.
Balaji Venkateshwar, Cyber Defense Researcher, Cybervidyapeeth Foundation said, “My aim is to create a Cyber Defence workforce of one million to work for the betterment of the nation and develop a Cyber Security Technology Park.” He stated that he focuses on Cyber Defence instead of Cyber Crime. In his address, he pointed out key points of Cyber Defence including Information Warfare and Community Warfare, Cyber Warfare, and Cognitive Warfare.
The workshop further saw a discussion on creating a plan for developing Jharkhand as the Cyber Defence Corridor of the World, identifying key performance indicators for the Plan performance measurement, and finalising a monitoring committee and a monitoring roadmap.
