Free training at Khadoor Sahib academy gives wings to rural girls
KHADOORSAHIB(TARNTARAN): Free coaching and training being provided at Sri Guru Angad Dev Institute of Career and Courses in Khadoor Sahib is giving wings to the girls belonging to rural areas of Punjab.
As many as 419 girls trained by the academy have got selected in various security forces in the country in the past nine years. Nine of them were recruited directly as sub-inspectors in Punjab Police.
The institute is being run by noted environmentalist Sewa Singh at Nishan-E-Sikhi, an eight-story building constructed in the holy town in commemoration of 500th birth anniversary of second Sikh Master, Guru Angad Dev.
“The institute was started in 2008 under the guidance of retired Brigadier TS Aulakh with a motive to empower women, especially those who are unable to go in for higher studies due to financial constraints. It was being run with the support of sangat. However, now the expenses of training and coaching are being borne by a co-operative bank of Maharashtra. We are not taking any fee from the students.”
Baldev Singh Sandhu, director of the institute, said at present they were giving training to around 55 girls for different entrance exams as well as physical ability tests with an aim to groom them for recruitment to various security forces such as Border Security Force (BSF) Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and the police forces of Delhi, Punjab and Chandigarh.
He said 233 girl students from the institute had got selected constables in the Punjab Police, 126 in BSF, 28 in Chandigarh police, 2 in CRPF, 5 in Delhi police, 1 in CISF and 15 in a private security agency.
Sandhu said the institute has been providing training and coaching to the girls free of cost, besides giving them hostel facility by charging a nominal amount.
He said a majority of the girls at the institute come from border districts of Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur. He said the duration of the coaching classes and physical training is three months.
“Apart from new students, a number of our old students also return to the institute for shortterm training whenever the date of any entrance exam is announced,” he said.
Sandhu said initially the institute had a batch of boys also, which was disbanded in 2009 after the authorities did not find the boys disciplined enough. “But last year, we have once again started a batch of boys. Eighty male trainees of the institute have made it to the Indian Army.”
Capt Karnail Singh Bal (retd), who coordinates the training for these girls, said, “The training is being given by retired officers of captain rank from the army.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Police SI Sonamdeep Kaur, who was trained at the institute and is currently posted as a station house officer (SHO) at Vaironwal police station in Khadoor Sahib subdivision, gave credit for her success to the institute.
“I served as a constable in Punjab Police for four years. Last year, I joined the institute and got training for only 15 days for the post of sub-inspector. Thanks to the training, I got selected as SI,” she said and added that the institute had been doing a great job in empowering women from rural areas of the state.
TRAINED BY ACADEMY, 419 GIRLS FROM RURAL AREAS OF PUNJAB GOT SELECTED IN VARIOUS SECURITY FORCES IN PAST NINE YEARS