To educate students about disciplines and sense of responsibility towards the society, a State-wide Student Police Cadet (SPC) scheme was launched by the State Government here on Thursday.
Development Commissioner and Home Secretary Asit Kumar Tripathy inaugurating the programme at the Capital High School premises said the scheme would certainly help students inculcate discipline, social behaviour and many more other good habits.
DGP Dr RP Sharma said the SPC scheme would help students understand the role, constraints and arduous nature of police work and educate them about disciplines and sense of responsibility. It would also help teaching them about team spirit, increased respect for law, gender equality and maintenance of safe environment, he said.
Commissioner of Police Satyajit Mohanty spoke in detail about the SPC scheme and its functioning. School Headmistress Sonamika Roy also spoke. IGP and State Nodal Officer of SPC Asheet Panigrahi presided over the programme.
This SPC scheme is a two-year programme meant for students of Class VIII and X with strength of 44 students in each school, including 50 per cent of girl students.
The School and Mass Education Department has identified 40 schools for implementation of the scheme, out of which 33 are State-run schools and seven are Central schools.
The same scheme would be extended to other schools in the State in a phased manner.
Odisha is one among the very few leading States along with Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana in implementing the SPC scheme.
The SPC programme is being contemplated as a long-term and constructive solution to major internal security challenges recognised by the police organisation.