CHENNAI: Senthamizh's dream was to study agriculture but her police parents were busy on Covid duty and getting admission in colleges was out of reach. She along with 123 children of police personnel, however, received college admissions for their desired course at colleges and over 50 of them received full waiver of fees for their entire course duration, thanks to Chennai police commissioner Mahesh Kumar Agarwal.
While the men and women in khaki were struggling as frontline warriors during the Covid-19 pandemic, getting college admissions for their children was stalled as they were on the ground every day. The police commissioner Mahesh Kumar Agarwal, initiated the programme and sent requests to various institutions to provide admission to the children of police personnel as they held up on frontlines fighting Covid-19.
“I always aspired to be a farmer and learnt a lot about them. My parents sent me to my native place in Chidambaram during the early days of the pandemic outbreak. I have never lived alone so long away from them. Whenever I contacted my parents to talk about college admission they were busy and the course I like is in very few colleges. I thought it would slip away by the time the pandemic ends and my parents get their free time,” said V Senthamizh. Her father V Vetrivel Murugan, Sub Inspector of Police and mother G Amutha, a police constable are one of the thousands of Covid-19 frontline warriors.
When the Commissioner’s initiative stepped in Senthamizh had her fingers crossed, but it was a relief when she got admission in B.Sc., Plant Biology and BioTechnology. “It’s the first step towards my dream. We have a farmland in our native place and I wish to do mixed farming of fisheries, horticulture, and poultry, all organically”
Sathish Babu, Head Constable attached to the Chennai city police is a Covid survivor. His daughter Pavurnika wanted to study Information Technology. After Sathish Babu survived covid-19 he couldn’t concentrate on getting admissions for his daughter. “I was busy and I had promised my daughter that I would try. The Commissioner’s initiative came as a relief. But I did not expect that her entire fees for four year would be waived,” said Sathish Babu.
Over eleven institutions in Chennai had come forward to provide admissions to the children who have just finished Class 12, as a token of appreciation for the untiring service of cops as Covid-19 warriors.
“Police personnel are working tirelessly yet there is an image they are appreciated less. Gestures like these will always prove that the good work of police is rewarded and respected. The wellbeing of the police families will be continued,” said Mahesh Kumar Agarwal, the Chennai city police commissioner.
So far over, 2262 police personnel have been affected by Covid-19 and over 1800 returned to active duty after recovering.