The Hindu : New Delhi News : Project Raksha to ensure safety of girl students

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 15, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Project Raksha to ensure safety of girl students

Staff Reporter

A scheme to train six lakh girl students to defend themselves

NEW DELHI: After having implemented "project yoga'' aimed at imparting spiritual training to people in different parts of the Capital, the Delhi Government led by its Education Department has embarked on "project raksha'' to impart training to nearly 6 lakh girl students to defend themselves against eve-teasers and molesters.

The Education Department, in close association with the Delhi police, has prepared an elaborate plan to prepare the girl students in self-defence to take on the anti-social elements in view of the increasing incidents of crime against women. "This is an attempt to reach out to the girl students and empower them to make them feel secure and confident. They should be able to deal with certain unforeseen situations and circumstances effectively and fend of such attacks,'' said the Education Minister, Arvinder Singh Lovely. Mr. Lovely, who along with the Tourism Department had kicked off the innovative free yoga training programme, said that with changing times, the thinking in the Department should also change. Although the primary aim of the Department was to improve the standard of education, it had been decided to also focus on other areas such as welfare of the students.

Mr. Lovely said in view of the changing profile of the Capital and the influx of people from various parts of the country things have undergone a sea change and it is all the more important that the girl child is empowered to deal with various situations. Under this programme, the Police women instructors would be imparting training to 431 physical education teachers of various schools. These teachers would spread out in various schools and train the girl students in self-defence. It is proposed that six lakh children would be covered under this programme that would be extended to public schools.

The Education Minister said there was an urgent need to create awareness among the children against the rising crime and also to spruce up their confidence levels. Terming the programme as a milestone, Mr. Lovely said that it was expected that such training would ensure safety of the girl students from incidents like eve teasing, harassment, physical molestation and attempts at rape and grievous injury.

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