By Rajnish Singh
New Delhi, Mar 23 (IANS): Far from modern gadgets and teaching institutes in cities, a "pathsala" (school) being run near the International Borders (IB) in Gujarat and northeastern states of Assam and Mizoram by the Border Security Force (BSF) has helped more than 200 youth get hired in the Army, Navy, Air Force and various paramilitary forces.
Initiated in 2016, the short-time training "pathsalas" ensure physical as well as written training to the youth whose families are financially weak to help them getting employment.
Giving wings to the aspirations of such youth, the Border Security Force (BSF), apart from its onerous responsibility of guarding the 4,096 km India-Bangladesh and 3,323 km India-Pakistan borders, has trained more than 2,000 unemployed youth. More than 200 youth have been selected in the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and different paramilitary forces of the country so far.
These youth, including girls, are given 30-days to 60-days training as per requirement and conditions by the BSF. The 2.5 lakh strong force have got the support of the Gujarat, Mizoram and Assam governments in terms of finances so that the participants can be provided study material, stationary items and sports kits.
Apart from daily running and strengthening exercises under the supervision of male and female instructors, a high-protein diet is also provided to the participants every day.
"The aim of the training is to acquaint the aspirants with the recruitment procedure of various defence forces such as the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and all CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) or paramilitary units and to teach them the course content of relevant examination thereof," BSF DIG (Gujarat Frontier), M.L. Garg, told IANS.
Everything from study material to the diet of these participants is free, Garg said, adding "Our forces even help these youth in filling forms and guides them on how to appear in written and physical exams as per the current trend".
"Our training has helped them a lot. This is a successful project. It simultaneously helps them to come out of negativity that government jobs cannot be acquired without giving a bribe. They will follow the same thing during their career after getting jobs in the forces."
The 124 Battalion of the BSF at the Border Outpost Joginder in Gujarat has been providing this training facility to students and it has trained more than 1,315 youth so far. The Gujarat government has paid Rs 4,17,000 for training of these participants.
In Mizoram and Assam, the BSF has also trained over 700 to 800 youth. Over 300 were trained last year and almost 35 of them were selected in different forces and CAPFs, another official, requesting anonymity, told IANS.
The initiative was the brainchild of IPS G.S. Malik, an IG posted in BSF's Gujarat frontier.
Each batch has around 30 youth and these are trained for at least 21 days to 30 days. The timing may be enhanced to two months, too, based on situation.
Information regarding the training is disseminated to the youth through local sarpanches and farmers of border area. "An overwhelming response is being received since as many girls as possible and boys have been enrolling themselves for the proposed training programme," the official said.
Classes are conducted as per pre-planned programmes by respective instructors and efforts are made to cover all the subjects of examination. There is also a method of weekly tests to evaluate the assimilation level of the students.
In order to build the confidence of the aspirants and to motivate them about their prospective job profiles, visits to the International boundary and forward areas are conducted.
During the training, ample focus is given on physical training as well as on studies and practice of the written part of the recruitment so that the aspirants could succeed in their maiden attempts.
Accordingly, study material, stationary items and sports kits are distributed to participants.
On the completion of the training a detailed feedback is taken from the youth and a positive feedback as well as appreciation is being received by the BSF units engaged in the process.