Latest news with #Samavesh
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Chandigarh police's Samavesh programme disposes of 7,386 plaints in 2 years
Almost two years since the launch of police-community partnership programme 'Samavesh', the UT police have disposed of thousands of complaints and also created awareness amongst over a lakh residents, reveals data. As per the programme, one sub-inspector rank officer of the police department is engaged at each Samavesh Kendras to provide services and remains available for 12 hours at the centre. (HT File) Under the scheme, the police received 9,920 complaints under various categories from October 1, 2023 till June 30, 2025 and disposed of 7,386 of the same. Samavesh, which in its operational term means policing along with the community, was launched in October 2023 with an aim to reduce trust deficit, dignity deficit and spatial disconnect among citizens and the police. A total of 1.2 lakh residents of Chandigarh have attended 2,478 awareness programmes organised by the police in this time period. These awareness programmes ranged from drug awareness, gender sensitisation, harassment of women at public and workplaces, awareness about various welfare schemes of the government and also meetings with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs). A total of 215 missing mobile phones were recovered by Samavesh staff and the same were handed over to their applicants/users. In this period, as many as 13,581 senior citizens' visits were made on a daily basis by Samavesh staff deputed in various police stations. The Samavesh staff in the presence of concerned station house officers (SHOs) conducted 324 meetings with the members of resident welfare and market welfare associations. These meetings are organised on a monthly basis to hear and resolve their issues. A special drive regarding tenant and servant verification was conducted in 2024 and a total of 2,679 tenants/servants were verified under this drive. Tenants/servants verification drive/camp is still ongoing starting from July 15 till July 20. As per the programme, one sub-inspector rank officer of the police department is engaged at each Samavesh Kendras to provide services and remains available for 12 hours at the centre. The in-charge of Samavesh Kendra works in consultation with the Police Station Level Committee. Samavesh Kendras provide the facility of e-FIR registration, complaint registration, character verification, employee verification, tenant verification, servant verification, lost article report, locked house registration, passport verification, know the status of complaints/case service. UT SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said the scheme has enhanced the efficiency of police and has been very successful in building police community partnership. 'The staff dedicated for the programme have been ensuring speedy redressal,' she added.
Indian Express
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
His fight against menstrual taboos took him to London School of Economics, now his organisation gets students into Oxford
It was supposed to be just another study trip for a first-year computer science student from D Y Patil COE, Pimpri. Little did he know that this journey to Assam would reshape his life's purpose and touch the lives of around 2,000 students across India. During a study tour to Suklai village in Assam, the engineering student met Roshni, a young girl whose education came to an abrupt halt after her first menstrual cycle. 'When enquired, the village residents explained this as normal practice during 'Mahavari,' treating menstruation as a taboo that could deny a fundamental right like education,' recalls Pravin Nikam, 32. 'I was completely shocked,' said Nikam. 'If something as basic as education could be snatched away so easily, I wondered what other socio-economic challenges these communities must be facing.' Growing up in Pimpri, where his father worked at Hindustan Antibiotics and struggled with irregular salaries, Nikam believed that studying Engineering would be a pathway out of poverty. His father's involvement in social work and the inspiring vision of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar had already planted seeds of social consciousness in his mind. In 2012, Nikam made a decision that was surprising to his family and friends; he left his engineering studies and enrolled in SP College to study Political Science, determined to address the educational inequalities he had witnessed. With the help of faculty member Meena Ranpise, Nikam and his friends created a street play named after Roshni. Through these performances in colleges, they began raising awareness about education, gender equality, and youth empowerment. 'Street plays became our medium to reach people directly,' Nikam explains. 'But we soon realised that awareness alone wasn't enough. So my friends and I started guiding underprivileged students about gender equality, constitutional rights, entrance exams, college applications, and career choices.' Nikam further pursued LLB and LLM degrees, and in 2020, secured a Chevening Scholarship, gaining admission to the Master's in Human Rights and Politics program at the prestigious London School of Economics. Today, Nikam's work operates through 'Samavesh,' a non-profit organisation that emerged from the merger of his earlier initiatives: Project Roshni, which has focused on gender and youth development since 2011, and Project Samata, which began providing higher education mentoring in 2021. Samavesh primarily operates in three core areas: providing free mentoring and coaching to students for entrance exams, academic writing, and university applications; offering legal documentation support; and facilitating scholarship access to eligible students. IIM Bangalore recognised Nikam's work, and his non-profit organisation was incubated in 2023, providing institutional support and financial help. Students mentored by Samavesh have secured fully funded scholarships with an average range between Rs 40 to 50 lakh each at prestigious institutions, including the London School of Economics, Oxford, Ashoka University, Azim Premji University and others. One particularly inspiring success story is that of Rie Raut, a transgender person from Pune, who is now pursuing a Master's in Human Rights at University College London, a testament to the programme's commitment to inclusive education. Moreover, in December 2023, Samavesh started an 'After School' centre in Bhosari, accommodating 150 children. This centre helps students, particularly migrant children and those from underserved communities, by providing free academic support, digital literacy training, and foundational skills development. 'I have been closely associated and worked with organisations, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), TERI think tank, BARTI, and Nehru Yuva Kendra, among others. These collaborations have provided me valuable learning opportunities, connections with domain experts, which have helped students, too,' he said. Despite the success, Nikam acknowledges that challenges remain. Many students from migrant families, specially-abled individuals, and transgender communities still lack basic documentation required for accessing government benefits and educational opportunities. 'Documentation might seem like a small issue, but it's often the biggest barrier between a deserving student and their dreams,' Nikam says. 'Our role is to ensure no student is denied opportunities simply because they lack the right paperwork.' With centres in Pune and Jharkhand, and association with educational institutes across Maharashtra, Nikam's vision continues to expand. 'The goal is to empower even more students, and with a team of over 20 dedicated fellows, we are contributing to the cause,' he added.
