UGC celebrates Cyber Jagrukta Divas, launches courses on cyber security, data protection

The courses were launched to mark Cyber Jagrukta Divas and will be introduced in universities and colleges under elective or optional categories for students from all streams.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has launched courses on cyber security and data protection for undergraduates and postgraduates with an aim to help even students from non-technical streams to develop an understanding of cyber security issues. The courses were launched to mark Cyber Jagrukta Divas and will be introduced in universities and colleges under elective or optional categories for students from all streams.

“Cyber security as a subject needs to be incorporated at graduation and postgraduation level in all streams. The syllabus of these courses aims to create aware, responsive, and responsible digital citizens, thereby contributing effectively to an overall healthy cyber security posture and ecosystem,” UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar said.

Kumar said, "higher education institutions (HEIs) can invite cyber security or IT-qualified faculty and experts from the industry to take lectures, and practicals and give tutorials."

As per the syllabus released by the UGC, undergraduate students will study basic and mid-level concepts and postgraduate students will cover mid and advanced-level concepts. The undergraduate syllabus includes topics like introduction to cyber security, cybercrime and laws, social media overview, e-commerce, digital payments, and digital devices security, among others.

“After completion of this module, students will be able to understand the basic security aspects related to computers and mobile. They will be able to use basic tools and technologies to protect their devices,” the syllabus document read.

At the postgraduate level, the topics that will be covered include cyber crimes, cyber laws, data privacy and security, cyber security management, and compliance and governance, among others.

“After finishing this module, students will have an understanding of the legal framework that exists in India for cybercrime, including aspects related to personal data privacy and security. They will also get insight into the Data Protection Bill, 2019, and data privacy and security issues related to social media platforms,” the UGC said in official documents.

The courses will also include practicals that will cover topics such as privacy settings on social media platforms, registering complaints of a social media platform, and preparing password policies for computer and mobile devices, among others.

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