In a significant shift, the 2018 batch of Indian Police Service probationers is dominated by tech-savvy candidates as 76 of the 131 are from different disciplines of engineering studies.
They will be graduating from the Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad on Friday. The batch which includes 28 women, has four medicos, while 27 persons hold a degree in Arts, 13 are from science background and three graduated in Law. Bala Swamy, a probationer from Telangana, who is allotted home cadre, holds PhD in Mathematics. Three others, Rupesh Chennuri, B. Rohit Raju and Harshvardhan, who also hail from Telangana also are allotted home cadre. There are a total of 13 IPS probationers from both the Telugu States.
Speaking to The Hindu, Atul Karwal, director of the country’s premier police school said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address the young officers virtually from New Delhi, after the Dikshanth Parade, the culmination of rigorous training for nearly two years. “Schedule of Mr. Modi is yet to be confirmed in light of the demise of former President Pranab Mukherjee,” he said.
The Parade, which was usually opened to parents, friends, relatives, fiancés and fiancées of probationers, is now a closed-door affair due to COVID-19 pandemic. Arrangements have been made to live stream the passing out parade on Doordarshan. “We are not inviting outsiders to witness the parade, as they can enter the campus only after mandatory two weeks quarantine,” the 1988 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre said.
Fifteen probationers from Nepal, Royal Bhutan and Maldives will not participate in the parade this year due to international travel restrictions.
The batch is unique in the sense that the probationers had got the rare opportunity of understanding policing and mindset of common citizens during COVID-19 lockdown when they were attached to their cadres for mandatory District Practical Training for six months, the officials said. They said that the cadets have been trained on the challenges of cybercrime and other aspects of policing during the two-year long training, which comprises 42 weeks of basic training followed by district practical training in respective cadres for 28 weeks and 13 weeks phase-II training at the academy.
Above all, the Telangana State seems to be the biggest gainers of new recruits as 11 probationers (four from 2017 and seven from 2018 batch), including two women, would join the rank. Telangana having 33 administrative districts has necessitated such a huge contingent.