Police to set up NCC-like units in 100 schools in TN

Chennai: The Greater Chennai police is constituting National Cadet Corps (NCC) like units in schools across the city called Student in Responsible Police Initiatives (SIRPI). The initiative, which is the brainchild of police commissioner, Shankar Jaiswal, will be initially implemented in 100 schools across the city.

The project is aimed at addressing the issue of juvenile delinquency, identifying vulnerable children and guiding them. The idea, according to the Greater Chennai City police commissioner, is to identify 50 students from 100 schools and provide them uniforms and other facilities.

Vulnerable students from Class 8 and above will be identified and included in the "SIRPI Wing" of the police.

Shankar Jaiswal told IANS: "We will be commencing the operation by the first week of January and provide uniform to around 5,000 students, both boys and girls. The 100 schools have already been identified."

He also said that the uniform design is underway and the curriculum for the programme is currently being worked out. The city police will spend time with the cadets of the SIRPI and provide books, uniforms and other study materials to the students. The children who are in the programme will be taken for tours to premier educational institutions and also be shown how the police force works.

Shankar Jaiswal said: "The whole idea is to make them responsible citizens and we will conduct physical training, classroom training and instil discipline in students in a one-year curriculum which is being worked out." Resistance to social evils and empathy for vulnerable sections of the society will be cultivated in the cadets through field visits and information through classrooms and study materials. The police will depute the services of a police inspector as the liaison officer between the police and the student cadets and schools. This officer will depute sufficient officers for training of students and will also try and maintain excellent relationships with the concerned schools.

Legal literacy programmes in association with the government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will be conducted for the SIRPI cadets. They would be made to understand the value of traffic laws and good habits.

The cadets will be involved in staging programmes like mono act, street plays and also organising campaigns against alcoholism, anti-drug campaign as well against terror activities.

The culture and need for conducting national festivals and saluting the national symbols would also be inculcated in the students.