One of the oldest districts of Nagaland, Tuensang, is not like any other district in the country. Although it has a predominantly rural population of two lakhs, the literacy rate is 73%! This is despite the fact that the area does not even have proper learning centres.
However, the absence of study centres also means there is a lack of places for the youth to focus their energy on. This led to a lot of them channelizing their youthful energy towards destructive ends for short-term pleasures like drugs. To check this trend and motivate the youngsters to focus on studies rather than on drugs, Superintendent of Police, Tuensang, Vishal Chauhan, IPS, and his team launched ‘Operation Sarvodaya.’
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer shared details about the initiative and how it is helping to wean away the youth of the district from drug addiction.
ABOUT OPERATION SARVODAYA
Drug abuse among the youth is often also the result of underlying frustration and a feeling of inadequacy. Anti-social elements take advantage of this to spread and expand their network by luring the youths towards the consumption of various illegal substances. The addicts often take to committing petty crimes to source money to fund their addiction. This leads to a vicious cycle.
Under such circumstances, ‘Operation Sarvodaya’ was conceptualized by the Tuensang police, as part of a bigger strategy to curb the spread of drugs. Under this operation, the police focus on the reduction of the demand and supply of narcotic substances while simultaneously providing an attractive alternative to the affected youth.
“We realized that in this part of the country, the infrastructure and the reach of learning materials and sources are very poor. Once the students complete their class 10, they have to move out of their homes and go to the capital Kohima or the commercial capital Dimapur, for further studies. To bridge that gap and to provide access to the best education to the youth sitting in the remotest areas, we decided to launch libraries under the project,” Mr. Chauhan told Indian Masterminds.
CENTRES FOR LEARNING
The lack of study resources was one thing, and the lack of information technology was another. The youths of the district were witnessing the spread of information technology elsewhere and bemoaning its absence in their area. So, Mr. Chauhan decided to provide them with a metropolitan-level education so that in no way, they should feel left out.
In this regard, he planned to set up a library in a two-fold mode. The first being physical hardcopy books that were arranged from New Delhi, targeting competitive examinations such as UPSC, SSC, Nagaland Public Service Commission (NPSC), MBA, SSB, CDS, CRPF, Bank PO, JEE, NEET, etc. The second fold was digital.
“We have already built three centers of learning. The other four are underway and will be furnished soon. Our second fold is to provide them with digital literacy and access as well. For this purpose, we have set up one computer in each center along with a printer, so that in case students wish to study from the internet and take notes, they can use this facility,” shared Mr. Chauhan.
DIGITIZING LIBRARIES
Furthermore, the libraries also have four tablets in which over 1500 books have been downloaded for reading purposes. These books range from general knowledge to self-help, literature, fiction, non-fiction books, etc.
Apart from reading resources, the tablets also contain video lectures related to multiple subjects from famous professors, that are available on the internet and on various other platforms.
“The lectures have been downloaded and pre-loaded on all the tablets so that the youngsters do not suffer because of the remoteness of their location,” Mr. Chauhan told Indian Masterminds.
PROVIDING CAREER COUNSELLING
The libraries can be accessed by one and all, without any restrictions. A special governing board has been formed for the libraries comprising not only police personnel but also people from civil societies and also learning enthusiasts.
“Along with all of this, we have also provided a career counseling and guiding chart for the youngsters because, in our part of the country, the knowledge and exposure on various career options and progression is very limited. The career guidance chart might help youngsters in this regard,” Mr. Chauhan said.
He is also planning to conduct orientation programs for young kids in the region. He will do so to directly speak with prospective candidates and understand the career path that they have planned for themselves after moving out of school so that he can help them with the available options.
The overall motto behind launching ‘Operation Sarvodaya’ is to curb the menace of drug abuse in youngsters which is ruining their lives. Due to the lack of proper educational infrastructure and the limited options available for studying, the youth of the district were resorting to drug usage, which will hopefully be curbed by the officer’s project, while simultaneously guiding these young minds toward a successful future.
