Delhi Police engage 2,400 underprivileged youngsters in skill training

Delhi Police, along with National Skill Development Corporation and Confederation of Indian Industry, is training youngsters from economically weaker sections of the society, under the project Yuva.

In an effort to make an inclusive society, Delhi Police has been training more than 2400 young adults, in the 14 to 25 age group, in different vocational skills. As part of project YUVA, these youngsters have been shortlisted from 3500 children and youngsters, from the economically weaker sections of the society.

A training session of communication skills in progress at Primero Skills & Training Pvt Ltd, in Shahpur Jat, South Delhi, as part of the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. (Shivam Saxena/ HT Photo)

“Children and youngsters who are living in JJ clusters, including those who are school dropouts and get addicted to drugs are also part of the skill training program. Those , whose family members are involved in crimes, and have no one else in the family to financially support are also part of this program. These youngsters are basically from economically weaker sections and resort to crimes because of lack of resources to earn a living,” says Madhur Verma, DCP (Crime) and PRO, Delhi Police.

This initiative of Delhi Police is in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). “Both the institutions — CII and NSDC — will provide skill training as well as job opportunities to these youngsters. Usually such training used to take place at one centre in the city but this time, we have designated several centres including 20 police stations,” adds Verma.

The food and beverages service steward training under Delhi Police initiative YUVA which is a part of Pradham Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana.

A spokesperson from NSDC, who is managing the project, says, “We are providing skill training to the offenders to align them to the main stream. They commit crimes because they don’t have jobs and because they lack skills. NSDC is implementing Pradhanmantri Vikas Yojana and providing training to the ones under this initiative of Delhi Police. If not 100 per cent, we will try to provide jobs to at least 70 per cent of the trainees under this scheme.”

The selection of candidates has been made on the grounds of seriousness towards bringing a change in their personality and the society at large. “There’s no point in training someone who isn’t serious about changing oneself. The training is in different sections, from plumbing and construction to painting walls. Officially, the programme will be inaugurated on July 15 or 16,” adds the NSDC spokesperson.

“We have been experimenting with the individuals, in their own way, for quite some time now. And based on our previous experiences, we realised that police can maintain the law and order situation and control crime, when they interact with the stake holders [offenders] in a non-policing way. There is a technological push and a policy push on the community policing initiative in Delhi. You have to have work like this in a major city like Delhi, and I just hope that it will bring a change,” says Sanjay Beniwal, Special CP (Women and Modernisation).

Manish (name changed), a juvenile offender says, “I always wanted to do something in life but due to financial constraints and lack of resources, I never got an opportunity. Now, with YUVA, I will learn as much as I can and start a new life.”

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