Engineering Grads join Punjab police for 10 k per month

More than 75% of the youth who will commence their duty on Friday as constables in the Punjab police are ones who hold Masters and Bachelor degree in engineering.

Among new ones who have joined as constables in the state police, are 180 youth possessing Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degrees, while at least six are those who have a Masters degree in technology.

All these qualified entrants will have a starting salary of just Rs 10,000 per month. They would be getting meagre salary for the next two-years until their probation ends. According to sources, after successful completion of their two year probation period, these police constables will start getting a monthly salary of around Rs 20,000.

The scenario reflects the state of education that exists in the country with scores of youth unable to find jobs matching their qualifications. Some prefer a government job for reasons of job security. The good part is that these youth will be assigned jobs in the information technology wing of Punjab police. The others will be absorbed in the intelligence wing of the state police, say sources.

Besides, BTech and MTech degree holders, the other remaining youth who successfully passed out of the training on Thursday are those who hold bachelor degrees in computer application (MCA), MSc(IT), BCA etc. Roping in techies in the force is a part of the plan by the Punjab police to cease the practice of getting technical staffers from other government departments on deputation to the state police.

This way, the police will be able to build a dedicated in-house force of techies who would act as the backbone to crack crime in the state, beyond just those related to cyber issues.