HYDERABAD: When one pictures a constable, one sees lower-level policemen with little power, not even equipped with a service revolver. However, a new policy seeks to challenge that view. In what can be called an attempt to upgrade the way cops are trained, thousands of newly-inducted constables will be taught advanced martial arts.
In a first, around 7,506 police constable trainees are to be part of the training. The newly selected candidates for the posts of Stipendiary Cadet Trainee (SCT) Police constables – Civil, Armed Reserve (AR), Special Armed Reserve – Central Police Lines (SAR-CPL) and Telangana State Special Police (TSSP) would be trained by martial arts experts to engage miscreants in hand-to-hand combat in emergency situations.
The nine-month-long training for the first batch would commence on May 1. Considering the frequency of incidents relating to corruption, stress and mental status of policemen that impacts the reputation of the department, officials have chalked out a plan to modify the syllabus and provide physical training and tactical skills to newly-selected candidates.
After Telangana achieved statehood, the State government issued a notification to recruit policemen in the state to fill the vacancies. In an attempt to train policemen in the best way possible, the new state government made certain modifications in the syllabus. Thereafter, the TRS government introduced what they thought were more practical observations on crime detection and law enforcement.
Officials are also upholding the example set by Counter Intelligence (CI) cell constable K Srinivasulu, who was recently awarded the Shaurya Chakra for his bravery shown while catching a terrorist.