- Bhubaneswar police initiated an extensive safety outreach program on Thursday
- The move comes after the unfortunate suicides of two Nepalese students
- The program is aimed at the safety and welfare of girl students in schools
Reacting to the recent two Nepalese student suicides, Bhubaneswar police launched a comprehensive safety outreach program targeted at female students, particularly other state and international students. It seeks to deliver legal, psychological, and emotional assistance while reinforcing overall security at schools and colleges.
Under this program, a woman police officer from every police station will be a "link officer" to provide help to female students with any legal or psychological issues. The officers will provide instant assistance without students having to physically go to the police station, Police Commissioner S Dev Datta Singh said.
Schools have been asked to add more CCTV cameras on their campuses, and self-defence classes will be organized in all schools and colleges within the city. Bhubaneswar currently hosts around 1,500 international students, with 170 female students from two private institutions attending the inaugural session. During the session, students were encouraged to voice their challenges and expectations from college authorities and police. Many raised concerns about mental health, eve-teasing, drug abuse, and misconduct near campuses.
Commissioner Singh insisted upon providing mental health intervention and crisis response mechanisms. He also underscored cyber safety and reminded the police of their pledge to not leave students feeling isolated or helpless during their study in the city.
The session was conducted solely among police officials and students, and the students felt free to discuss matters without institute authorities present. Institutional representatives afterwards also voiced great support for the initiative, emphasizing its importance in establishing more effective support systems for students.
