CAWACH
The Cybersecurity Awareness And Creative Handholding (CAWACH) Kendra is an initiative launched by the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), Education Department, Government of Gujarat.
The CAWACH Committee of S.L.U. Arts and H.&P. Thakore Commerce College for Women, is tasked with building cyber hygiene, securing digital safety, and protecting female students against online harassment, cyberstalking, and digital financial fraud.
- Committee Composition
- Chairperson : Dr. Himmat Bhalodiya, Principal.
- Convener / Nodal Officer : Dr. Kandarp Chavda (kandarp.chavda@gujgov.edu.in )
- Co-Convener and Members : Dr. Mukesh Baraiya | Dr. Varsha Prajapati | Dr. Shweta Zala
- Technical / Administrative Support : Prof. Payal Shah
- Student Cyber Ambassadors (Cyber Yuvatis) : Ms. Sakshi Soni (SY BS-BBA) | Ms. (B.Com.) | Ms. (B.A.)
- Career Guidance and Placement
- Roles and Responsibilities of Committee Members
- Oversees the institutional execution of the CAWACH policy guidelines mandated by KCG.
- Approves the annual calendar of cyber awareness events and sanctions necessary institutional resources.
- Acts as the apex authority for addressing serious cyber incidents reported on campus.
- Serves as the primary liaison between the college, KCG, the Department of Higher Education, and local Cyber Crime Police cells.
- Plans, schedules, and monitors all workshops, expert lectures, competitions, and master training sessions.
- Ensures mandatory event uploads, attendance metrics, and activity compliance reports on the state CAWACH / UDAYAM COGENT portal.
- Assist in drafting event schedules and integrating cyber ethics modules into regular departmental activities.
- Facilitate classroom-level handholding for safe digital learning platforms, online scholarship portals, and digital examinations.
- Provide confidential primary counselling to female students facing cyber distress or harassment.
- Student Cyber Ambassadors
- Act as peer-level first responders and awareness champions within their student cohorts.
- Disseminate standard cyber safety tips, dos and don’ts, and emergency contact numbers.
- Escalate unreported cyber issues, bullying, or suspicious digital links circulating in student groups to the faculty convener.
- Key Functions of the CAWACH Committee
- 1. Cyber Hygiene and Literacy Programs
- Conduct periodic hands-on workshops on password management, two-factor authentication (2FA), privacy settings on social media (Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook), and public Wi-Fi security.
- Organize digital literacy sessions on safe internet surfing and spotting phishing/malicious links.
- 2. Women-Centric Cyber Safety and Defence
- Sensitize students on the legal frameworks protecting women online, including relevant sections of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) regarding cyberstalking, morphing, non-consensual image sharing, and cyberbullying.
- Educate students on the state and national reporting mechanisms, including the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) and the 1930 Cyber Helpline.
- 3. Financial and Banking Fraud Awareness
- Organize targeted awareness on UPI scams, QR-code fraud, fake loan apps, job/lottery scams, and OTP fraud, tailored particularly for commerce and young entrepreneurial students.
- Train students on prompt financial reporting steps (golden hour reporting within 24 hours to freeze stolen funds).
- 4. Peer Engagement & Creative Campaigns
- Host intra-college poster-making, reel-making, slogan-writing, debate, and quiz competitions centered on cyber ethics and digital well-being.
- Create college-level digital bulletins and infographics shared via official student broadcast channels.
- 5. Documentation, Compliance, and Incident Handholding
- Maintain comprehensive records, participant counts, geo-tagged photographs, and feedback forms for every event for NAAC and KCG audit requirements.
- Provide a safe, zero-judgment helpdesk on campus to assist students in drafting complaints to the cyber cell or resolving compromised personal accounts.