It’s a rare international honor for two officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS).
The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), an association for police leaders based in USA, released the ’40 Under 40 Award’ in which top rising police leaders from around the globe are selected for their exemplifying leadership, dedication, and service to their communities and the law enforcement.
Among the 40 personnel, belonging to six different nations, who will receive the prestigious award includes two Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. 2011 batch IPS officer from Chhattisgarh cadre, Santosh Singh, and IPS officer Amit Kumar are the ones who will be presented with the international award for their efforts put in for the betterment of the society.
The IACP announces such awards annually at its annual ceremony in September, and the following year’s ceremony honors the awardees in person at its Texas headquarters. The award will be presented to the officers in October 2022, in Texas, USA.
INITIATIVES THAT GOT RECOGNITION
As 40 officers were selected from six different countries namely USA, UAE, Canada, Australia, Korea, and India, the initiatives taken by IPS officers Santosh Kumar Singh and Amit Kumar shined brightly and were recognized by the international association.
Mr. Santosh Kumar Singh, who belongs to the Chhattisgarh cadre, has served at various places where there is a stronghold of left-wing extremism, such as Maoists and Naxalites.
While speaking to Indian Masterminds, he said “I served for nearly four years in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, which is the most Naxal affected region in the country. As the primary aim while working there was to control Naxal activities, I was instrumental in getting many Naxalites to surrender. Hundreds of them were also arrested. A couple dozen of Naxals were also neutralized during my stint as Additional SP Sukma and SP in two different districts namely Narayanpur and Kondagaon.”
Apart from this, Mr Kumar also initiated a program called `Child-Friendly Policing’ during his Mahasamund district assignment. This initiative, in partnership with UNICEF, aimed to bring attitudinal changes in police and empowered children through various training and awareness programs. He was given a Champions of Change award by Mr Venkaiah Naidu, vice president of India, for this effort.
CONTRIBUTION DURING COVID
Mr. Santosh Singh was heading the charge of Raigarh Police during the Covid19 pandemic. His efforts in supporting the needy during the pandemic were also recognized by the international association. Under his command, thousands of people were provided rations and food packets. Around 1.24 million free facemasks were distributed among the people in Raigarh in a single day.
STEPS TAKEN BY AMIT KUMAR
The 2015 batch IPS officer from UP cadre, Mr Amit Kumar, was also among the 40 police personnel whose good work was recognized by the international association. Mr. Kumar, who gave up his lucrative career in information technology (IT) and software development in the United States to follow the footsteps of his father who was a reserve police officer, believes that the uniformed service allows him to effectively serve India and its communities.
He led one of the largest successful operations ever conducted in Indian policing history by seizing 112 stolen luxurious vehicles valued at 15 million dollars. Not only this, but his extensive educational background has led to developing technology that has opened the way for the police to reach over 230 million people in Utter Pradesh.
Both these officers are truly leading by example and are pride of the Indian police.
