PM Modi cautions Nation against digital frauds

Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday expressed concern over frauds going on in the name of Digital Arrests. Addressing the nation in his Mann Ki Baat programme on Akashvani, the Prime Minister underlined that all investigative agencies are working together with the state governments to deal with such frauds going on in the name of digital arrest. He reiterated that there is no provision of digital arrest under law.    

The Prime Minister played a conversation between a victim and a fraudster for listeners of Mann Ki Baat. The fraudsters of Digital Arrest phone calls pretend to be Police, CBI, or Narcotics officers. They collect personal information of victims and create an atmosphere of fear. Prime Minister said people from every class and age group have fallen victim to Digital Arrest, losing lakhs of rupees  out of sheer fear. He urged people to not get scared when they receive such fraudulent calls. He sought to make people aware that investigative agencies never inquire through phone or video calls.

 

Mr Modi enumerated three steps to Digital Security – ‘Stop – Think – Take Action.’ He advised people to stay calm and never give their personal information to anyone. If possible, they should take a screenshot and record the conversation. 

 

Prime Minister counselled people to dial the national cyber helpline 1930 and report such incidents on cybercrime.gov.in. He said they should inform family and police, and preserve evidence. He impressed upon the people that these three steps will protect everyone’s digital security.

 

Mr Modi said that a National Cyber Co-ordination Centre has been set up for synchronization among government agencies.  Thousands of such fraudulent video calling IDs have been blocked by the agencies. Lakhs of SIM cards , mobile phones and bank accounts have also been blocked. 

 

Prime Minister asked victims of such cyber frauds to raise awareness among people about it. They can use #SafeDigitalIndia for awareness. He also urged schools and colleges to involve students in the campaign against cyber scams. 

 

‘World Animation Day’ is being celebrated tomorrow. Mr Modi highlighted that India is on the way to ushering in a new revolution in the world of animation. He urged people to resolve to make India a global animation power house. 

 

He expressed happiness that ‘Chhota Bheem’,  ‘Dholakpur ka Dhol’ and other animated serials such as ‘Krishna’, ‘Hanuman’, and ‘Motu-Patlu’ have a fan-following all over the world. Prime Minister noted that animation is omnipresent, from smartphone to cinema screen, and gaming console to virtual reality. 

 

Mr Modi observed that the Gaming space of India is also expanding rapidly and Indian games are gaining popularity all over the world. He was happy to share that today, India’s talent is also a significant part of foreign productions. He shared that Harinarayan Rajeev’s contribution in Spider-Man and Transformers movies has been highly appreciated by people.  

Mr Modi exuded pride that nation’s youth are creating Original Indian Content, which reflects glimpses of country’s culture. He emphasised that Animation sector has donned the form of an industry that is powering other industries, just as VR Tourism is getting famous these days.  He observed that along with Animators, the demand for storytellers, writers, voice-over experts, musicians, game developers, VR and AR experts is also constantly rising. He inspired youth to expand their creativity. 

 

Prime Minister was pleased to note that Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is successful and the campaign has become a part of nation’s collective consciousness. He underlined that India is doing wonders in every sector after becoming self reliant.  India, which was the biggest buyer of Defence Equipment in the world, is now exporting to 85 countries. Mr Modi highlighted that India has become the first country to reach the South Pole of the Moon. He said that this month, Asia’s largest ‘Imaging Telescope MACE’ was inaugurated in



Hanle, Ladakh. It is situated at a height of 4300 meters and is ‘Made in India’. 

 

Prime Minister urged listeners to share examples of innovations and Aatmanirbhar Bharat on social media. He asked them to shop during this festive season with the mantra of Vocal for Local.

 

In ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Mr Modi discussed two great heroes who had courage and farsightedness – Sardar Patel and Bhagwan Birsa Munda. He announced that the country will celebrate their 150th birth anniversary. Sardar Patel’s 150th birth anniversary year will begin from the 31st of October. Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s 150th birth anniversary year will begin from the 15th of November. Mr Modi said both these great souls faced different challenges but their vision was the same –  ‘unity of the country’.

 

Prime Minister recollected how special events materialised during celebrations of 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. From Times Square, New York to the smallest village in Africa, people across the world understood, re-discovered and lived India’s message of truth and non-violence. Mr Modi reminisced that during 150th birth anniversary celebration of Swami Vivekananda, the youth of the country understood India’s spiritual and cultural power. 

 

Mr Modi urged people to share their thoughts on Iron Man of India, Sardar Patel with #Sardar150 and their thoughts on Dharti-Aaba Birsa Munda with #BirsaMunda150. 

 

Prime Minister touched upon the subject of calligraphy in his address. He said that these days, calligraphy is  being used in Jammu and Kashmir to popularise the local culture. He spoke about Firdousa Bashir from Anantnag who has expertise in calligraphy. She is bringing forth many aspects of the local culture through that. Mr Modi said that a similar effort is being made by Gorinath of Udhampur. He is engaged in preserving myriad forms of Dogra culture and heritage playing a Sarangi which is more than a century old. 

He said there are many such extraordinary people across the nation who are preserving their cultural heritage. Prime Minister mentioned D. Vaikuntham who has popularised Cheriyal Folk Art for about 50 years now in Telengana are amazing. He cited the example of Butluram Mathra of Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh who is engaged in preserving the folk art of the Abujhmadia tribe. 

 

Prime Minister expressed joy that Kalidasa’s “Abhijnana Shakuntalam ” is being performed at a theatre in the Russian city of Yakutsk. He said he was amazed to see local artists performing ‘Ramayana of Laos’ during his recent visit to Laos. He added that in Kuwait, Abdullah Al-Barun has translated Ramayana and Mahabharata into Arabic. He put forward the inspiring example of Peru’s  Erlinda Garcia. She is teaching Bharatanatyam to the youth there and Maria Valdes is imparting training in Odissi dance. Indian classical dance is becoming popular in many countries of South America. Mr Modi requested people to promote such cultural initiatives with #CulturalBridges.

 

In his Mann Ki Baat address on Sunday, Prime Minister also broached the topic of Fit India. He expressed satisfaction that people in India are becoming more aware about fitness. He underlined that this spirit of Fit India is now becoming a mass movement. He recalled that many people had gathered for yoga on Yoga Day in Srinagar despite rain. He termed Fit India School Hours as a unique initiative, saying that schools are using their first period for various fitness activities. He asked people to share their fitness routine on social media using #FitIndia. 

 

Mr Modi shared that this year, the birth anniversary of Sardar Patel is coinciding with Diwali on 31st October. He said that due to this,  ‘Run For Unity’ will be held on the 29th of October instead of 31st October. He urged people to participate in maximum numbers.

 

Mr Modi extended his wishes to the listeners of ‘Mann Ki Baat’ for the upcoming festivals – Dhanteras, Diwali, Chhath Puja, and Guru Nanak Jayanti.