Govt to train IAS, IPS, IFoS officers in dealing with Naxalism

In a first, the government has planned a training programme for Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service officers on dealing with Naxalism

The Department of Personnel and Training has written to chief secretaries of eight states seeking nomination of at least three officers each from IAS, IPS and IFoS for  the course

The nominated officers will be trained by armed forces personnel in Chhattisgarh Academy of Administration, Raipur during October 15-17. The government of India has been organising mid-career interactions between the armed forces and civil services officers in collaboration with the ministry of defence for the last many years. The basic objective of the programme is to increase exposure of IAS, IPS, IFoS and other civil services officers to the military, so as to effectively handle unforeseen situations at short notice.

"These mid-career interaction courses are conducted at the tactical and operational level and they are expected to benefit both the armed forces and civil services officers by mutual learning from each other's strength and also by imbibing the best points of each other's work culture, ethos and customs.

"This, in the long run, is expected to help them to combat future challenges to national security in an organised manner," said the DoPT letter. The programme is being held for the first time on Naxalism. It intends to bring together civilian and armed force officers from the states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, to a common discussion forum on the theme 'Left Wing Extremism'.

"In case officers from the all-India services are not available, officers belonging to the State Civil Services of appropriate seniority, who are working at the cutting-edge level in the districts, may also be considered for nomination," the letter said.