In order to ensure better coordination and co-operation between IRPFS (Indian Railway Protection Force Service) and IPS (Indian Police Service) officers when they are posted in the field units, training of IRPFS officers will now be held at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) at Hyderabad.
The IRPFS officers are recruited by UPSC through Civil Services Examination in Railway Protection Force (RPF). The batch strength of IRPFS probationers is about 5-6 every year. They undergo Foundation Courses at LBSNAA, Mussoorie and National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR), Vadodara, besides undergoing professional training at Jagjivan Ram RPF Academy at Lucknow, Indian railways said in a statement.
Three batches of IRPFS officers, however, were trained alongside IPS officers earlier in 1998 and 1999 but the arrangement was discontinued in subsequent years, it said.
After inter ministerial consultations between Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Home Affairs, it has now been decided to re-start the initial training of IRPFS Probationers at SVPNPA along with the first phase of training of next batch of IPS Probationers (i.e. 73 RR) starting in the winter of 2020, it said.
The training in SVPNPA will equip the IRPFS officers to manage the railway security more effectively and professionally. This will also ensure better co-ordination and co-operation between IRPFS and IPS officers when they are posted in the field units.
“The increasing significance of railway security in the national security set-up calls for better professional competence of the RPF leadership which will be achieved if they train and work together with IPS officers from the start of their careers,” the ministry said.