NHRC-IGNOU online training programme on human rights for Police Personnel launched
Mr. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, launched an online training programme on human rights for police personnel on the 1st February, 2011 in New Delhi. Keeping in view the tight schedule of the police personnel, the tailor made programme aims to equip them with the knowledge of the human rights and how they can apply these while dealing with public. The programme has been developed by NHRC in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Open University, IGNOU as per a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed between the two on the 31st December, 2009.
Speaking at a function organized on the occasion at IGNOU campus, Justice Balakrishnan said that it is the duty of the Commission to sensitize officers and the people about the human rights. This kind of focused training module becomes all the more important given the fact that various provisions of law and amendments therein sometime take long to reach the police officers down the hierarchy.
He said that in a democratic country, police have major responsibilities in not only maintaining the law and order but also supporting the criminal justice system among others. The NHRC Chairperson said that IGNOU has evolved as an international centre for distance learning and that is why NHRC has collaborated with it for developing the online training programme for police personnel.
Mr. P.C. Sharma, Member, NHRC said that human rights never received such a focus as it is now in the police training curriculum. He said that senior police officers have a duty to orient their subordinates towards human rights. Crime detection, investigation and human rights go hand in hand. Human rights are linked with the dignity of an individual. He said that senior officers will need to shed feudal approach in their functioning and supervise their subordinate officers and staff with a collaborative approach. Going by the number of complaints received in the Commission, sometimes it feels that the police are growing insensitive. They need to change their attitude towards women, children, dalits and helpless people. Nevertheless, Mr. Sharma said that NHRC, while advocating for the promotion and protection of human rights of the people, also cares for the human rights concerns of the police personnel and their tough and demanding service conditions, and it has taken up the issue of reforms in their service conditions time and again with the concerned authorities.
Earlier, welcoming the guests, Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU hailed the launch of online training programme on human rights for police personnel as a first of its kind. He expressed his happiness for collaborating with NHRC for preparing such a unique programme.
Later, Mr. Sunil Krishna, Director General (Investigation), NHRC thanked the officers of NHRC and law faculty members of IGNOU for their contribution in jointly preparing the training module for police personnel. He expressed the hope that this programme will be successful and will be implemented by the different police organizations in all parts of the country.
The first basic online programme on its launch was attended by the police personnel in three police academies in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The officers present in the academies had an online interaction with the Chairperson, Members and senior officers of the Commission and faculty members of IGNOU on human rights related issues.
The duration of the programme is five days. On the first three days, participants will be taught all the six units i.e. two units each day, through interactive lectures
by the resource persons using multimedia tools in a simple and an interesting manner. On the fourth and the fifth day, interactive counselling sessions will be held, wherein the participants and the programme coordinator/resource person will interact with each other through the web-conferencing mode. The interactive sessions during the training will also help in understanding their practical difficulties and experiences thereby bridging the gap between the police and the common man. The programme can be accessed as and when required.
Speaking at a function organized on the occasion at IGNOU campus, Justice Balakrishnan said that it is the duty of the Commission to sensitize officers and the people about the human rights. This kind of focused training module becomes all the more important given the fact that various provisions of law and amendments therein sometime take long to reach the police officers down the hierarchy.
He said that in a democratic country, police have major responsibilities in not only maintaining the law and order but also supporting the criminal justice system among others. The NHRC Chairperson said that IGNOU has evolved as an international centre for distance learning and that is why NHRC has collaborated with it for developing the online training programme for police personnel.
Mr. P.C. Sharma, Member, NHRC said that human rights never received such a focus as it is now in the police training curriculum. He said that senior police officers have a duty to orient their subordinates towards human rights. Crime detection, investigation and human rights go hand in hand. Human rights are linked with the dignity of an individual. He said that senior officers will need to shed feudal approach in their functioning and supervise their subordinate officers and staff with a collaborative approach. Going by the number of complaints received in the Commission, sometimes it feels that the police are growing insensitive. They need to change their attitude towards women, children, dalits and helpless people. Nevertheless, Mr. Sharma said that NHRC, while advocating for the promotion and protection of human rights of the people, also cares for the human rights concerns of the police personnel and their tough and demanding service conditions, and it has taken up the issue of reforms in their service conditions time and again with the concerned authorities.
Earlier, welcoming the guests, Prof. V.N. Rajasekharan Pillai, Vice-Chancellor, IGNOU hailed the launch of online training programme on human rights for police personnel as a first of its kind. He expressed his happiness for collaborating with NHRC for preparing such a unique programme.
Later, Mr. Sunil Krishna, Director General (Investigation), NHRC thanked the officers of NHRC and law faculty members of IGNOU for their contribution in jointly preparing the training module for police personnel. He expressed the hope that this programme will be successful and will be implemented by the different police organizations in all parts of the country.
The first basic online programme on its launch was attended by the police personnel in three police academies in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The officers present in the academies had an online interaction with the Chairperson, Members and senior officers of the Commission and faculty members of IGNOU on human rights related issues.
The duration of the programme is five days. On the first three days, participants will be taught all the six units i.e. two units each day, through interactive lectures
by the resource persons using multimedia tools in a simple and an interesting manner. On the fourth and the fifth day, interactive counselling sessions will be held, wherein the participants and the programme coordinator/resource person will interact with each other through the web-conferencing mode. The interactive sessions during the training will also help in understanding their practical difficulties and experiences thereby bridging the gap between the police and the common man. The programme can be accessed as and when required.