Ludhiana: A quiet intervention in Punjab’s Ludhiana by a woman IPS officer is cheering children and their parents, and spreading positivity. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police of Zone 1 of Ludhiana, Dr Pragya Jain, organised a unique summer camp to instill reading habits among children and hone their creative skills.
 
This summer camp is the extension of Jain's dream project ‘Book Nook’, wherein she has invested her childhood aspirations to make knowledge and resources available to every child. Coming from a small town, Jain was deprived of her right to acquire adequate number of books and other resources. Years later, now when she is in the position to do her every bit for the welfare of underprivileged kids, she is all inspired and enthusiastic.
 
The Summer Camp was aptly named ‘Summer Smiles’ and saw participation of 70 children 40 of them being from the underprivileged background. It was a successful effort to keep the children all smiles and joyous. This camp was a week-long event with numerous activities to engage the kids creatively.
 
“It is an effort from police to reach out to children at a young, impressionable age, inculcate reading habit, impart new skills and at the same time introduce them to the friendly side of police so that when we impart message against drug abuse, good touch/ bad touch, it is better received. We want to inculcate the feeling, Police Acchi Hai,” said Jain.

To excel in real world, one doesn't only need theoretical knowledge but soft skills as well. Inspired by the same, Jain designed the summer camp in a very practical and engaging way. The volunteers (aged between 13-17 years) took out one hour to train the class four employees in computer skills. Other than this, dance competitions, paintings, poems, sports activities, no-fire cooking and many more kept the children in high spirits. The children had a wonderful time stealing some joyful moments from their otherwise monotonous summer noon.
 
Who says that a police officer, who carries an otherwise tough exterior, cannot have such a soft side attached to her? Kudos to the IPS officer Jain who is on a journey of making people smile and in turn adding many feathers to her cap.