While PUC is the minimum qualification to be a police constable, of the 335 Women Police Constables who completed their training in Police Training School (240) and Temporary Police Training School (95) in Mysuru on Thursday, 76 were post-graduates, 200 were graduates, 36 were engineering graduates, one was a dentist and another had completed a nursing course.
Director General of Police (Training) Dr P Ravindranath announced this at the passing out parade of the eighth batch of the 240 Women Civil Police Constables, Railways, KSISF constables of PTS, and fourth batch of 95 women Civil Police Constables of TPTS at DAR Parade Ground in Mysuru on Thursday.
"Police constables are also officers. As per section 2 sub-section 9 of Karnataka Police Act 1963, a constable is the lowest grade police officer. Also, as per section 20 of CRPC, the head constable is the minimum rank officer to hold the charge of a police station," he said. "With the police department utilising advanced technology to detect and prevent crime, manage traffic, maintain law and order, these highly-qualified police constables will have a lot of opportunities," he said.
"Under the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (to enable seamless transfer of data and information among different platforms of the Criminal Justice System), courts, police, forensic labs, prisons and others are brought under a single platform. Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and Systems (a nationwide online tracking system with integration of most of the police stations across the country, for effective policing) project is also in place. CCTVs and drones are utilised to maintain law and order. The Bengaluru Safe City project was launched recently. So they can serve in all these technology-oriented platforms in the department," he said.
He added that the services and talents of all these meritorious constables will be best utilised in special units, too.
"Services of a police constable from Chikkamagalur who had done civil engineering were utilised in the police housing board and was given a salary of an engineer. A head constable by the name Rohith who has specialised in laws related to children, women and others, is now conducting district-level training programmes on all these laws for DySPs and others," he said.
"These constables can retire as inspectors and can also take up in-service departmental exams and climb to higher positions. So they have a lot of opportunities to serve well and grow. Also, all measures are taken for the welfare of police, including their housing and transport, so if their families are safe, they can serve peacefully," he added.
Mysuru City Police Commissioner Ramesh Banoth, PTS Principal Geetha Prasanna, TPTS Principal Maruthi, SP Seema Latkar were among those present on the occasion.
Job security, passion to serve made us choose this profession: Qualified Women Police Constables
"Job security, love for uniform, passion to serve people in one of the most disciplined professions, made me choose this job," said H S Gange who had done MSc (Botony)and bagged the 'All Round Best Trainee' award among the 8th batch of women police constables who completed their training on Thursday, and was parade commander at the passing out parade.
She plans to take up departmental exams to rise to higher positions.
Gange, a native of Heggadahalli village, Kudige from Kushalnagar taluk of Kodagu district, who lost her father H K Somashekar when she was in class four, thanked her mother A N Jayalakshmi who served in the Morarji Desai Residential School as a cook and took care of her. Gange also studied in Morarji Desai School from class six to class ten. "My brother H S Chandrashekar, who is DRFO in the Mysuru forest division, is my inspiration," Gange said.
K R Vedika who bagged the "All Round Best Trainee" award in the fourth batch of Women Police Constables who completed training in the Temporary Police Training School on Thursday, also said that it is the job security and the discipline of the police department that attracted her.
A native of Kalenahalli, Channarayapattana, Vedika also lost her father K C Raveesha at a young age. She was thankful to her mother Pushpakala and her uncle S N Swamy who took care of her, and her brother K R Varun for his support. A state-level volleyball player, Vedika plans to study further.