https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

From Making Weapons to Making Machines, This IPS Officer is Charting New Paths for the Tribes of Noklak

SP, Noklak, Nagaland, Pritpal Kaur, IPS, had launched an initiative called Not Guns but Machine Now under this initiative, an electric bike has been made by the local tribes, a first of its kind in Nagaland Under her guidance, they have also made an oil extracting machine and a cooking cum drier machine for farmers
Indian Masterminds Stories

IPS officer Pritpal Kaur does not let go of any opportunity to direct the path of the tribes of Noklak, the district where she is posted. Earlier, to stop the youth from straying towards drugs and insurgency, she had found an innovative way to keep them motivated towards productive work and channelise their energy towards positive pursuits. Continuing that line of action, she has now steered the youths from making weapons to making useful machines. And, the youths on their part are living up to her expectations. Recently, she was called to inaugurate the first electric bike of Nagaland made by the tribes of Noklak.

Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Ms. Kaur shared details about this enterprising endeavour.

NOT GUNS, BUT MACHINE

Noklak is full of youths who have either dropped out of schools or are educated but are not employed. Hence, SP Kaur was looking for ways to provide them with gainful employment in the form of some kind of livelihood. The idea dawned on her when one day, while discussing with the local youths about the weapons they make, she thought, “It might be their tradition or history, but we cannot support something which is illegal. So why don’t they shape a product which is legal in the country.” And, she conveyed this idea to them.

Electric Bike

As roads in Noklak are not in good conditions, she asked them to make a small electric bike, as petrol or diesel bike will pollute the environment. The electric bike is less than 250 watts (or 25km/h), so it does not need any RTO clearance.

“The first thing that we did was to register the bike in the MSME under the Udyam Scheme of Government of India. Then we got the registration number, and they started making a bike from scratch,” Ms. Kaur said.

They searched for all the small parts required to make the bike, and to make it sleek and beautiful, they purchased decorative products from Amazon. “This is a very basic version, but hopefully the coming electric bikes will be much better. At least, all the youths will get motivated as this is the first electric bike in the whole of Nagaland,” said Ms. Kaur.

IPS Officer Pritpal Kaur Riding the Electric Bike

She further informed that while testing the electric bike, they found out that the battery was getting low very fast. So, they now plan to make a solar powered machine, as Noklak gets a fair amount of sunlight. However, this process is still ongoing.

WHEEL OF NAGAS

And, when it came to choosing a name for the bike, everyone agreed on ‘WON – Wheel of Nagas’. This name was chosen to bust the misconception that this remote corner of India is infested with weapons and insurgency. It is not like that at all. People here are very much talented, they just need a direction to walk on,” Ms. Kaur said. 

The inventors of Electric Bike

Incidentally, one of the persons involved in the making of the electric bike is a driver in her department called Khumeng. The other is a mechanic whose name is Tumong.

COOKING CUM DRIER MACHINE

Next, Ms. Kaur also asked them to make a small machine for the farmers, which they did. In Noklak, large cardamoms grow aplenty, but the farmers don’t have a proper machine to dry them. They dry them directly on the fire and, as a result, their prices go down. So, under Ms. Kaur guidance, the tribes made a cooking cum drier machine for the farmers.

Cooking Cum Drier Machine

“Secondly, Noklak has a women self-help group named Taste of Noklak Society, that makes all value addition products. When we were teaching them how to make ginger candies, we required a machine to cook the gingers. Hence, I asked the people to make a cooking cum drier machine with many outlets.”

OIL EXTRACTING MACHINE

This was not all. Seeing they are good with machines, Ms. Kaur then gave them the idea of making an oil extracting machine. Local farmers also grow perilla seeds which is an oil seed, but they had to travel for 14 hours to Dimapur to get oil from the seeds, as the machines were only available there. Transportation cost was high and, as a result, the price of oil also went up. Hence, the decision to make a small oil extracting machine in Noklak itself was taken and carried out.

Oil Extracting Machine

In conclusion, Ms. Kaur said that the tribes in Noklak are very talented, and they just needed someone to guide them onto the right direction. “We did that. We are now hoping that the youth will move from making weapons and doing drugs to making useful products and doing good for society.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Pallavi Akurathi IAS
IAS Officer Pallavi Akurathi Files Cyber Complaint After Being Cheated in Online Sari Purchase
ChhattisgarhGovt_resized
41 IAS Officers Get New Postings in Chhattisgarh, Collectors of 11 Districts Got Reshuffled; Kunal Dudawat Made DC, Dantewada
CBI
CBI Registers FIR Against Former IAS Officers in Alleged NAN Case Manipulation
Judiciary_india
Former IAS Officer Pradeep Sharma Sentenced to 5 Years in 2011 Bhuj Land Allotment Case
ED _Enforcement_Directorate
ACC Extends Tenure of IPS Officers Ms. Sonia Narang and Mr. Abhishek Goyal in ED
PESB
PESB Selects Surjit Mishra as Director In-Charge of Burnpur & Durgapur Steel Plants
smita_sabharwal-resized
Senior IAS Officer Smita Sabharwal Responds to Gachibowli Police Notice in Land Dispute Case
DFCCIL logo
Successful Trial Run on DFCCIL’s New Umbergaon-IR Saphale Section Marks Major Milestone
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
Meghashree D R IAS
How Wayanad’s Women Turned a Disaster into a Dream Project
UPSC Stories
pushplata-yadav-ias
How IAS Pushp Lata’s Strategy and Spirit Took Her to AIR 80
From rural Haryana to IAS, Pushp Lata Yadav’s journey reflects focused planning, adaptation, and the...
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
IRS officer Padmapani Bora's 16-year career transcends typical bureaucracy. Discover his surprising journey...
IAS T Rahul Kumar reddy
How This IAS Officer Overcame 4 Consecutive Mains Failures & 1 Interview Rejection
IAS Officer T. Rahul Kumar Reddy’s journey to success was marked by perseverance through six UPSC attempts....
Social Media
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
Tiger
IAS Officer Sanjay Kumar Shares Mesmerising Tigress Patrol Video from Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
In the video, the tigress is seen cooling off in her preferred waterhole before embarking on her evening...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Pallavi Akurathi IAS
IAS Officer Pallavi Akurathi Files Cyber Complaint After Being Cheated in Online Sari Purchase
ChhattisgarhGovt_resized
41 IAS Officers Get New Postings in Chhattisgarh, Collectors of 11 Districts Got Reshuffled; Kunal Dudawat Made DC, Dantewada
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
Meghashree D R IAS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT