In Chhattisgarh, ITBP teacher in ‘smart’ class, student of local lingo (IANS Exclusive)

By Rajnish Singh Raipur, Jan 17 : Simultaneously protecting the high-altitude India-China border and curbing anti-government activities in Maoist-affected states, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police’s (ITBP) new incarnation in Chhattisgarh — a ‘smart’ teacher for local school children and a student to learn Halbi language from them — is visible since beginning of 2021.
Personnel of over 90,000 strong force, posted in the state, have been organising internet-based classes for local children in Maoist-affected Kondagaon district. In the course of educating the children, these ITBP personnel are, in turn, gradually learning local Halbi language from them to increase the force’s intelligence ability.
Started for children in remote villages children in Hadeli area and adjoining villages in Kondagaon since January 5, the classes are organised by personnel of ITBP’s 41st Battalion to enhance the student’s knowledge with the help of online audio-visual lessons. The classes are also taken with the help of electronic equipment such as computers and projectors.
The classes are arranged between 3 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. in the week except Thursday — when weekly markets are held in the region and the children go there to enjoy cock fights. These classes are taken by ITBP personnel who are graduates and have experience and knowledge to teach.
Apart from this, various online learning videos on YouTube, help of e-learning websites are also taken to teach the students by giving them enough opportunities to learn and practice.
“It is envisaged that the value addition of a half hour capsule course on daily basis would in future enable the students to pursue higher studies and would help children to understand the methods of e-learning and virtual online classes,” ITBP spokesperson Vivek Pandey told IANS.