A library movement developed in a short span of time in Jharkhand’s Jamtara district is receiving a steady flow of students and helping them turn a new page. The district love for books assumes huge significance as it has the dubious distinction of being the “phishing capital of India”. Many youth, mostly drop-outs in the 15-35 years age group, have been turning to cybercrime to earn a few quick bucks.
Police personnel from 22 out of 28 Indian States have visited the tiny district in search of cyber fraudsters in the past few years. It’s said that the majority of online fraud calls received by people across the country emanate from the district. Online fraud is almost seen as a cottage industry in the district. In 2020, Netflix’s crime drama Jamtara was based on phishing activities in the district.
Ground Zero | The cyber con 'artists' of Jharkhand's Jamtara district
“Now we have taken initiative to change the identity of Jamtara, where educator and social reformer Pandit Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar had once worked, through a community library movement,” Faiz Aq Ahmed Mumtaz, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Jamtara, told The Hindu .
Mr. Mumtaz said the district now has 45 functional public libraries. Unused government buildings have been renovated and converted into public libraries.
“Studies of students preparing for Class X and Class XII exams were disrupted during the COVID-19 infection period. But the community library proved to be a boon for such students. The State government is conducting classes for mathematics and science at these campuses,” he added.
Instead of learning tricks in phishing, students can now follow books like Discovery of India , Indian Economy and India After Gandhi in their own village. “Every Sunday, teachers are reaching out to students and clarifying their doubts in various subjects, so that students do not face trouble in the upcoming examination. Two teachers have been given charge of each library,” Mr. Mumtaz said.
As many as 93 cyber criminals are languishing in Jamtara’s jails, while 156 online fraudsters were arrested in 74 different cases in 2020. Of the 74 cases, 17 cases were based on victim complaints, while 57 cases were registered following intelligence inputs in Jamtara.
Earlier, the Jamtara police administration had launched an IEC (information education communication)campaign educating cyber fraudsters and warning them about the repercussions of being caught.
The Jamtara DC said public libraries will be made functional in 100 more panchayats by next year.
Mr. Mumtaz said, “With people using digital platforms more often than before, cybercrime incidences are only going to increase. In pursuit of easy money, youth were found resorting to online fraud. We need to divert them into studies.”
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