In a departure from past exercise that army never mixed their trainings with paramilitary forces, a batch of Indian Army is currently receiving training in ‘public order and crowd management’ at the Rapid Action Force Academy for Public Order (RAPO) before moving on for the United Nations assignments.
RAPO is the first and only of it’s kind of training institute in the field of riot control, crowd management and public order management in the country and as per government policy there is a pact from 138 countries for exchange training programs.
Ever since it’s inception the RAPO which is an unit of the elite RAF has been imparting training to States and UT police force including Delhi Police, other paramilitary forces, but never had army personnel within its campus for training except for a brief program in 2019.
Beginning last week, a batch of Indian Army has been getting lessons on public order by the highly trained and even much qualified instructors of RAPO drawn from CRPF, RAF. The unit is to be deputed at Sudan as part of UN peace keeping mission.
“The academy is being developed as the center of excellence to enhance the capability of the different Police force
personnel in Public Order management and also for training, Research and Development on the concept,” said DIG RAPO Akhilesh Kumar Singh.
Police personnel from across the world which includes Central armed police forces of India, police force of various states in India including Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir are being trained at Academy in various subjects, with focus on public order.
“Since inception, RAF Academy has trained 14318 men in uniform on various subjects which include crowd management, media management, human rights, legal aspects concerning police personnel in India,” said Akhilesh who is also the recipient of President of India Medal for Distinguished Services in 2018.
The faculty posted at RAPO are highly experienced personnel of RAF/CRPF and have been pooled in with varied educational
backgrounds to match the requirements of RAPO to optimise competency as well as international standards.
Myanmar police were the first foreign police batch to be trained in RAF Academy in December 2019 followed by Zimbabwe police in March, 2020.
The academy also conducts pre induction training for MFPU and FFPU personnel for various UN missions abroad. “Maintaining the highest traditions of CRPF, as on date three courses are presently running at this institute,” said Akhilesh.
First, One week Riot control training for Indian Army personnel (3 JCO and 9 NCO ,Total 12 str). Interestingly, after completion of this Riot control training, these Army personnel will be leaving for UN Mission at South Sudan & Lebanon. Before this also RAPO has trained 15 Indian Army personnel ( 1 Officer, 14 Other Rank)of 04 Kumaon Regiment on riot control drill during 2019.
Second, four weeks training of trainers on mob dispersal for Tripura Police (60 strength).These 60 personnel are specially chosen for this TOT and after successful completion of this course they would be utilised as master trainers for imparting training to Tripura police personnel.
Third is the 4 weeks RAF special Induction Training for NGOs (116 strength) .This training is designed for CRPF personnel who are recently inducted in RAF from various units of CRPF.
Spread across 25 acres land, the RAPO was inaugurated by former Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in November 2013. The Academy received formal approval by MHA on November, 2019 with the sanctioned strength of 201 personnel with an officer of the rank of DIG as head of the institution.
