VIBHA VERMA
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PANJIM: As 2013 begins, Goa Police is preparing for a sea change as nearly 25 per cent young recruits will shortly be inducted, which top officers hope would change for the better the faltering image of the department.
The infusion of young blood will boost the present strength of the force of approximately 5,000 and it will comprise cops who are at least on paper better educated and more focused than some of their predecessors.
Six sets of recruitment are being undertaken by the police department, a mass recruitment which comes almost a decade after it last happened in 2002 wherein about 900 police personnel were recruited in one go.
Superintendent of Police (headquarters) Arvind Gawas told Herald that the fresh batches will comprise youths aged between 19 and 23 years. The Manohar Parrikar-led government, which had vowed to create employment opportunities for Goans, has created 920 posts in different ranks to induct youths into the force. Out of the total, 482 posts have been created for State police control room, 93 for the anti-terrorist squad, 304 for the traffic department and 41 for beat duties.
To begin with, recruitment for 698 posts of constables is nearing its final stage as the results of the written exam of 1262 qualified candidates will be released in January 2013. Those who qualify will be called for oral interviews in the same month.
Subsequently, recruitment for 105 posts of police sub inspectors (PSIs) is also underway wherein about 900 qualified candidates appeared for physical efficiency test on Friday. Those who qualify in this will be called for
written exam to be held on January 20, 2013.
The willingness to join the police force is quite impressive. Gawas said the department received a whopping 23,000 applications for the posts of constables and 6,700 for PSIs.
Also, after strengthening the first and second Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), the government has now taken up the cudgels to raise a third battalion forwhich 1007 separate posts are created exclusively for this cadre.
Under this, for 675 posts of constables, the department has received more than 18,000 applications. SP Gwas said that physical standard test of the applicants will be conducted from January 7 to 23, 2013.
The flooding of young recruits will continue as posts for two more batches~ 23 PSIs and 192 police drivers for IRB third battalion are being added. While the advertisement for PSIs will be released shortly, the department ~ busy in the mass recruitment process ~ has already begun scrutinizing 1,555 applications for police drivers received so far.
“During the last week of January 2013, the applicants for police driver posts will be called for driving tests and oral interviews,” Gawas said.
Another advertisement for 100 vacancies including sweepers, cook, mess servants, etc, will be released in the second week of January. The tests for the IRB third battalion will be held at four places – Panjim, Margao, Ponda and Mapusa in a bid to create awareness among the youth to join the police force.
To avoid allegations of bias during the recruitment drive, Gawas said the entire process including the written exam is being video-recorded. Whether oral interviews could also be video recorded is being discussed. “A transparent method is being adopted,” the officer said further.
