Nation better prepared to meet security challenges: Chidambaram

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram today said that being a ''growing economic power'', India was better prepared to meet any challenge to its security, sovereignty and integrity.

''However, we have to maintain constant vigil. As a nation growing not only in numbers, but also in influence, growing as economic power, a regional power, an Asian power, we can never afford to be slack,'' he emphasised while speaking after reviewing the passing out parade of the 61st Regular batch of the premier Indian Police Service (IPS). ''The Centre was focussing on three principles of building capacity, competence and confidence. We are adding to capacity every day. We are increasing level of competence of police officers and taking measures to improve confidence of not only the police but also the public,'' he said. ''The Centre is constantly making efforts to build capacity and competence of its security forces, and instill confidence among the citizens. We are adding capacity every day, every week and every month. I can say with confidence that India is better prepared to meet any challenge to its sovereignty, integrity and ensure security for all,'' he said.

He congratulated the Academy for providing new inputs during training for counter terrorism operations, guerrilla warfare, jungle warfare, and in gathering and dissemination of intelligence.

Highlighing various initiatives, he said the Centre would provide a corpus of Rs 2.50 crore in 2011-12 and an annual grant of Rs 20 lakh for the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).

The Centre had provided Rs 30 crore for improving the infrastructure for providing mid career training to IPS officers from early next year, he said.

He said the strength of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) would be stepped up at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy, to ensure that it was a fully secure place for providing training to probationers.

Later, he flagged off a cycle expedition from Kashmir to Kanyakumari by the personnel of Academy Assistant Director Ajay Kumar Nand.

-- (UNI) -- 06MS19.xml

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