New Delhi: As part of the government’s SMART police initiative, police forces have been sensitised to use salutations like Namaste and Jai Hind while answering phone calls. They have also been told to avoid mentioning their ranks while talking to a member of the public over the phone.
A Union home ministry official said most of the police forces have informed that they have educated the personnel on the salutations. Some of the state police have also included this in the training manual.
The measures are aimed at improving social profile of the police, which generally has an arrogant image. SMART stands for Strict & Sensitive, Modern & Mobile, Alert & Accountable, Reliable & Responsive and Techno Savvy & Trained.
Other measures undertaken by the police include giving due respect to the martyrs, including those of the Central paramilitary forces. Some States like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Maharashtra have even identified schools for holding functions to honour the martyrs.
In addition, police forces in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Mizoram have introduced an aptitude test for police recruitments to select people with soft skills so that they can earn a better reputation while dealing with public. As part of the initiative, the uniform of the police personnel is also being modernised.