Management students do internship with police to learn first-hand about the organisation that goes into bandobasts, patrolling

Students play cops

Management students do internship with police to learn first-hand about the organisation that goes into bandobasts, patrolling

Gurdeep Singh (22), a first year management student, was out last night patrolling the city with officials from the Chatushrungi police station. He is part of a team from the Department of Management Sciences, University of Pune (PUMBA), that has signed up for an internship programme with the police.

The 28 students who make up the first batch of the unique internship programme have been assigned to the Chatushrunghi police station.

Singh said, "We are given training on how to lodge FIRs and on beat marshalling. I was always keen to know how cops function, and to work with them at such close quarters is an amazing experience."

All the students are from the first year of MBA Biotechnology and have been chosen by Captain C M Chitalay of PUMBA after considering their interest in working with the force.

The internship programme is an initiative of Commissioner of Police Meeran Chadha Borwankar. She feels it will help bridge the gap between the police and the youth.

Hands-on approach
A senior police officer from Chaturshungi police station said, "Students will be given hands-on experience of beat marshalling, passport verification, they will gain information on non-cognisable and cognisable offences, and how an FIR is registered will also be explained. A certificate will be issued by the Pune Police at the end of the week."

Aditya Awathare (22), who is part of the internship programme, said, "I was amazed to see that apart from their regular duties, the police also take up social responsibilities. A person was lying on the side of the road and the cops provided him food and shifted him to the hospital for treatment. In fact, we also saw cops counselling a couple when the woman wanted to run away because her husband refused to allow her to study further."

Vrushali Mane (22) feels the experience is an eye opener. "I am glad I signed up for the programme. We need to realise the hard work and effort put in by cops. The common people should always come forth and help the police instead of blaming them," she said.

Officers at the police station said no policemen were specially put in charge of the programme, but that the students were expected to interact with the police and observe what was happening around them.

Additional Commissioner of Police Sanjay Latkar said it was too early to comment on how the internship programme was coming along.

"I will only speak on the ongoing programme after 100 students from PUMBA complete their internship with us," Latkar said.