In an innovative partnership, the Indian Institute of Management-Kozhikode’s (IIM-K) Centre for Digital Innovation and Transformation (CDiT) and the Kerala Police Cyberdome Project have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a wide array of cyber and information technology projects for augmenting cyber security and policing.
The MoU was signed by Lt. Col. M. Julius George (retd.), Chief Administrative Officer at IIM-K, and P. Prakash, Inspector General of Police and Nodal Officer of Kerala Police Cyberdome. Professor R. Radhakrishna Pillai, head of CDiT IIM-K, has been appointed as the IIM-K nodal officer for all related matters, according to a press release issued on Wednesday.
Expressing enthusiasm over the collaboration, IIM-Kozhikode’s Director, Prof. Debashis Chatterjee, noted that tapping into the extensive knowledge base of industry and academic experts, along with access to technology, process knowledge, industry standards, and practices, would help Kerala Police stay ahead in a rapidly evolving cyber landscape. “Most importantly, CDiT, one of our Centres of Excellence, will also make a conscious effort to enhance the availability of highly skilled technical experts and cyber professionals in the fields of digital and information technology who can assist the police on various cyber and information technology related projects pertaining to policing,” Prof. Chatterjee added.
Representing Kerala Police, Mr. Prakash mentioned that the collaboration would enable the police to synergize and collaborate on cybersecurity, cyber safety awareness, and other areas of mutual interest between the Cyberdome and IIM-K.
Moreover, the press release said that expert IIM-K faculty members will conduct tailored training and seminars for police personnel and participate as observers on relevant committees, State and national groups, addressing cybercrimes, and cyber policing as needed.
In an era where government initiatives such as Digital India are transforming society, CDiT aims to promote and coordinate interdisciplinary research in emerging digital technologies. On the other hand, the Kerala Police Cyberdome Project is a public-private partnership initiative of the Kerala Police, focusing on cybersecurity, information security, cyber forensics, data analytics, and other areas where information technology can be harnessed for cutting-edge policing.
