Sreenivas Janyala Posted online: Wednesday, Dec 02, 2009 at 0259 hrs

Hyderabad : The changing security situation in the country has made training for the IPS probationers a lot tougher. From Krav Maga, an unarmed street fight perfected by Israeli soldiers, to scuba diving for steadier nerves, to guerrilla warfare in the jungles of Tamil Nadu, would-be officers are undergoing rigorous combat and survival techniques that were till now the forte of special forces. Special emphasis is being laid on improving intelligence gathering skills. The  will introduce Krav Maga when training for the 62nd batch of IPS regular batch starts. A module was introduced on experimental basis to the 61st batch that completed the course last week, but it turned out to be too intensive for the probationers as the training was given at one go. So the NPA would be assimilating it into capsules spread over the training period for the current batch.

“Krav Maga does not involve martial arts or taking postures. It is a street fight, very practical and drawing on the good elements of various forms of fights and self defense techniques. We are mixing Krav Maga with the traditional unarmed combat training. It makes them a lot more tough physically and mentally,” says NPA Director K Vijay Kumar.

Gajarao Bhupal, IPS from Kakinada, who completed training at the NPA in November, says Krav Maga training boosted his confidence to a different level. “I am confident that I can now take on somebody with my bare hands. Scuba diving and rock climbing were also introduced for the first time. We were able to do things that we never imagined were possible,” Gajarao says.

Tafseer Iqbal from Dhanbad, who, too, completed his training in November, says that unlike judo or karate where you need time to take positions, Krav Maga is based on street-smart reflexes and is vital for close combat situations and much more suitable for urban law and order situations.

With the threat of Left-wing extremism and terrorism, guerrilla, jungle warfare and counter-terrorism has also become essential for the IPS officers. The probationers now undergo training with Tamil Nadu’s Special Task Force in the jungles near Coimbatore. “This is over and above the existing attachment with Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh where they learn guerrilla and jungle warfare tactics,” says Vijay Kumar.

A tougher regimen awaited the probationers who were introduced to rock climbing and mountaineering at Mussoorie cliffs which is a test of physical strength, nerves and will power. For steadier nerves and to prepare them for operations in water and improving survival skills, scuba diving has been brought in. The training was given at the academy itself this time as circumstances did not allow it to be conducted at Goa. The NPA has reintroduced river rafting at Rishikesh under the watchful eye of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. “We revived adventure sports to build team spirit and cooperation,” says Vijay Kumar.

One important component is restructuring of the 10-month training period. After undergoing nine months of training, probationers can choose one area of specialisation which can be as varied as Krav Maga to rock climbing to yoga.