Dear GKD Members, ICT is being adopted in many new ways throughout India. One interesting initiative involved using ICT to enhance training of Tamil Nadu women police. The Police Department from the Southern State of Tamil Nadu in India has embarked on a Web-based training program for the All-Woman Police Station (AWPS) personnel on dispute resolution and counseling techniques from September this year. Envisaged as a pilot project at three select AWPS in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai, it would be extended to other AWPS in a year's time provided the e-training proves to be effective in improving the women police's competence.
A brain child of Inspector General of Police (Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption) Mr. K Radhakrishnan, who was earlier the DIG (Training) at the Police Training College, Ashok Nagar, the content of the online modules is under preparation and would also cover interviewing, record-keeping and data management techniques. Tamil Nadu Additional Director General of Police (Training) Latika Charan told participants of a multi-site video conferencing program that the need for equipping the AWPS personnel with the capabilities was felt because the women police had to handle varied issues such as family disputes, dowry harassment, domestic violence. The video conferencing was organized by the British Council in association with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and the Forum for Women Police in India. The British Council at New Delhi moderated the video conferencing program 'Forging a New Future for Women Police" with participation from 150 women police from all over India. A follow-up to the first national conference of women in police which was held at Delhi this February, the video conferencing was an effort at stock taking on the implementation of some of the decisions made at the meeting on issues of equal opportunities for women. Participants noted that some strides had been made and one such effort was a study tour of four women police officers to the UK. One major observation of the study team was that the UK policewomen, too, had faced challenges in equal opportunities and gender-related issues. But they have progressed with assertiveness in the police force. In contrast, women police in India are lagging behind. Hopefully this ICT initiative of the Police Department will prove to be useful in coping up with the gender-related law and order issues !! Best regards, Chetan Sharma Founder, Datamation Foundation www.datamationindia.com www.datamationfoundation.org Ph# 91-11-22167230/22169162/22167973/22168017 Fax#91-11-22166602 ------------ ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>