Sikkim Police personnel begin cybersecurity training at newly launched state-of-the-art lab

The National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT) Gangtok, under the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY), Government of India, launched a three-day training programme on “Essential IT and Cyber Security Fundamentals” for police personnel of Sikkim Police on Tuesday.

The programme is being held at the newly established state-of-the-art Cyber Security Lab at Nar Bahadur Bhandari Government College (NBBGC), Tadong, East Sikkim, as part of the MeitY-sponsored initiative titled “Empowering Police Personnel and Government Officials of North East States through IT and Cyber Security Training.”

The inaugural session witnessed the presence of Shri Hem Raj Rai, IPS, DIG (Training), Sikkim Police, Dr D. Purohit, Principal, NBBGC, and Shri Khagendra Sharma, Director-In-Charge, NIELIT Gangtok, along with Dr Deepak Adhikari, Head of the Department of B.Voc (Software Development), Shri Munna Pradhan, Senior Administrative Officer of NBBGC, and officials from both NBBGC and NIELIT Gangtok.

In his welcome address, Shri Khagendra Sharma provided an overview of the project and the advanced digital infrastructure developed with the support of MeitY. He explained that the training lab, created in collaboration with Sikkim Police and NBBGC, is designed to offer hands-on training and skill development in cybersecurity and essential IT tools, crucial for navigating today’s evolving digital threat landscape.

DIG Hem Raj Rai urged the participating officers to make the most of the training and emphasized that equipping police personnel with cybersecurity knowledge is vital in the present scenario. “Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated by the day, and such trainings are not just important—they are essential,” he said. He also revealed that more advanced and specialised courses are being planned for the near future.

Dr D. Purohit, Principal of NBBGC, underlined the relevance of cybersecurity in today’s academic and professional spaces, linking it to the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. He expressed hope that such collaborative initiatives would help bridge the gap between academic institutions and real-world law enforcement needs, ultimately benefiting both students and faculty members.

The programme, which commenced on June 18, 2025, has begun with its first batch of 25 police personnel, nominated by Sikkim Police. Over the next three days, participants will receive focused training on fundamental IT skills, cyber hygiene, data protection, and threat detection—skills that are becoming increasingly crucial as cybercrime continues to rise across the country.

The state-of-the-art lab at NBBGC is equipped with advanced systems, tools, and simulation environments that enable practical learning and real-time threat analysis. Officials at NIELIT Gangtok have designed the curriculum to ensure that police personnel gain actionable insights and hands-on experience.