Sixteen per cent of IPS probationers of the latest batch of regular recruits passing out from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) on Friday are women.
The 144 IPS probationers of this batch (2019), including 23 women, who began their basic training on December 16, 2019, would participate in the Dikshant Parade (passing-out parade), which would be reviewed by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Along with them, 34 foreign officials, including 10 foreign official trainees, from Royal Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, and Mauritius police would take part in the parade. The foreign officers underwent training along with the fresh batch of IPS probationers.
SVPNPA director Atul Karwal said that the trainees had completed their 30 weeks of phase-I and 29 weeks of phase-II training at the academy, apart from 28 weeks of district practical training and 15 weeks of foundation at LBS NAA, Mussoorie, and MCR HRD IT, Hyderabad.
He said that the trainee officers were attached to Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police, apart from attachment with Telangana police’s anti-Left Wing Extremism elite force Greyhounds and Central School of Weapons and Tactics to ensure an all-round training. The probationers were also trained to combat internal security challenges in LWE areas in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
He said that Ranjitha Sharma (borne on Rajasthan cadre) and Shreya Gupta (borne on Tamil Nadu cadre) topped the 2019 batch of IPS officers. Ms. Sharma is also the first woman in IPS history of NPA to win the IPS association’s Sword of Honour for Best Outdoor Probationer.
Reiterating the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on changing the negative image of police in the country, which he shared with the probationers during a virtual interaction last week, Mr. Karwal said that change of image is a continuous process, and has been extensively discussed during the training, both indoor and outdoor. The academy had also launched ‘Training Needs Analysis’ to monitor the attitude and behaviour of IPS officers after they pass out from the premier police training school.
“It’s been a matter of concern for all of us. We are working on the attitude and we are concerned about it and it’s a continuous process. We are determined on improving the training,” the director said, adding that during the COVID-19 pandemic, police officers helped people from all walks of life.
Mr. Karwal said that during the training, the Director General of Police, Punjab, visited the academy and interacted with the trainee officers on various evolving issues, including the threat of drones on the borders.
While taking much care in providing training inputs in the pandemic scenario, the technological updates have been utilised for the maximum advantage in conducting classes and sessions online, the senior IPS officer added.
