Smart Policing Award-2022 The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was bestowed with the prestigious Smart Policing Award-2022 by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) .
This recognition was granted in acknowledgment of CRPF’s pioneering initiative, ‘Love U Zindagi,’ which is a ground breaking mental health and gender training program currently operating as a pilot project in the Srinagar Sector.
CRPF officials have highlighted the program’s instrumental role in fostering a deeper understanding of gender-related issues and promoting mental well-being among CRPF personnel. Designed to tackle mental health challenges and promote gender awareness, this initiative has left a significant impact within the CRPF ranks, empowering its members to confront challenges posed by patriarchy and long-distance relationships.
“This initiative stands as a unique offering within the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) due to its comprehensive approach to personnel development,” emphasized officials.
In a remarkable feat, ‘Love U Zindagi’ has become the world’s largest pilot project within any paramilitary organization, reaching an impressive 28,000 personnel through the efforts of 50 master trainers and 550 frontline trainers. CRPF officials reported numerous positive outcomes, with personnel better equipped to manage their thoughts, emotions, anger, stress, and various other issues.
“The recognition of this program by FICCI underscores its exceptional contributions to the welfare of CRPF personnel,” they added.
As part of the program, the GMHAT tool is used for surveillance of all CRPF personnel, identifying individuals suffering from stress, depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Vulnerable groups are then pinpointed and provided targeted support based on vulnerability mapping parameters.
Monika Salve, Chief Coordinator of the ‘Love U Zindagi’ program in Srinagar, praised the initiative’s empathetic approach. She said, “Through the initiative, we were able to gain a better understanding of the feelings and emotions of our jawans, particularly the challenges they face at home and in the workplace. I coordinated the training program at 22 locations, involving 50 officers and 100 jawans as trainers for the course.”
A letter sent to CRPF by FICCI revealed that the Smart Policing Award-2022 received entries from 23 organizations, including 17 State Police Forces and six CAPFs, among other Central Agencies. Among these submissions, the ‘Love U Zindagi (LUZ)’ Programme stood out as the deserving recipient of the award.
The award letter also acknowledged the pivotal role played by Charu Sinha, IGP, Southern Range, and the IG, Srinagar Sector, in launching the program to enhance the well-being of CRPF personnel.
The Smart Policing Award-2022 was accepted on behalf of CRPF by V.S. Khatana, Commandant of the CRPF Academy, during the ‘Homeland Security 2023’ event held at FICCI, New Delhi. This event, jointly organized by FICCI and the Vivekananda International Foundation, centered around the theme of “Cybersecurity, AI, and Data Analytics for Internal Security.”
A CRPF personnel member noted, “Being part of a disciplined force, we need to be firm and strict at times, but Love U Zindagi has taught us to approach things emotionally and with care.”
CRPF officials further informed that under the program, in Mental Health awareness, force personnel are educated on dealing with negative thoughts and emotions, managing stress, and introduced to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
In the training module for Gender understanding, the primary focus is on family-related issues, how masculinity and patriarchy affect men in society, the importance of women’s empowerment, and coping with long-distance relationships.
Additionally, the program addresses the role of poor household financial management as a contributing factor to suicides in CRPF. “Under the finance module, household finance management is covered, along with budgeting and the benefits of goal setting in personal finance.”