KIGA bagged by Chandigarh children

01.03.2019

          Chandigarh Police has brought laurels to the city yet again by winning the very prestigious Kalam Innovation in Governance Award (KIGA) for its pioneer project to mentor the children belonging to vulnerable sections of society.

          Dr. A. P. J. Kalam Summit on Innovation in Governance is an international conclave of policy makers, civil service officers, NGOs, media and academia who are dedicated to the task of governance and its dimensions. The summit on 28th February, 2019 was inaugurated by Shri Venkaiah Naidu, Honorable Vice President of India. The Summit is held by Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Center, which was formed in 2015 to promote innovations, especially in governance and social enterprises, improve youth participation in national and international development and improve access to education and knowledge in all strata of the society.

          The award to Chandigarh Police was given by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Honourable Vice Chairman, NITI Ayog in the presence of dignitaries Shri Alok Ranjan (former Chief Secretary UP), Shri Govind Gaude (Minister for Art and Culture, Tribal Welfare, Civil Supplies), Shri K. Srinivas (Additional Secretary, DoPT), Shri Desh Deepak (Secretary General, Rajya Sabha) and Shri Srijan Pal Singh, CEO – Kalam Center.

          Chandigarh Police won the Award for its project “Child Friendly and Drug Free Community”. The project is a brainchild of SSP UT Nilambari Jagdale which is being implemented in collaboration with an NGO Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM). Under the project, vulnerability pockets were identified in Chandigarh, namely Ram Darbar, Bapu Dham and Dhanas. Stakeholder meetings were held in these areas with RWA members, community leaders, teachers and principals of government schools as well as children in the area to understand the problems and needs of these children. Accordingly, a program was formulated to mentor children after school. These children are being mentored in better hygiene practices, sharing with the peers, better health practices, better communication skills, staying away from drugs, developing better social skills.

          Total 242 children are being mentored in the first phase of this project. After a few months of mentoring the batch will change and the aim is to bring 1000 children within the aegis of this project in one year. The project is being run at zero cost to the government. The expected outcomes are reduction in school absenteeism, improvement in school grades, staying away from drugs and habit forming substances, reduction in petty crimes, reduction in juvenile delinquency, reduction in eve teasing/molestation/crime against women etc. Chandigarh Police is providing different exposures to the Children time to time like meeting/interaction of celebrity Mr. Salman Khan which makes the Children happy and become motivated.