Ludhiana: Policing is not just about being watchful to thwart unlawful activities and maintain law and order but many more things most of us don't dare to think of,  whatever be the reasons. Policing is also about helping one develop good qualities, adopt habits for best social, moral practices and doing things, which bridge certain gaps in one’s growth process as a human being.

Book Nook – the brain child of young and dynamic IPS officer Dr Pragya Jain – epitomizes how one lets certain regrets remain intact in her memory but acts swiftly when gets an opportunity to ensure that others do not suffer from deprivations she underwent as a child! What a beautiful outlook that has encouraged Dr Jain to make Book Nook a reality, a place where the children of cops can study books of fiction and non-fiction along with many other reading materials. Simply brilliant! 

“From childhood I had a strong inkling for reading but did not have that kind of ecosystem at my native place, nothing so regretful as in villages the concept of reading and going to libraries is not yet so popular. I stepped into the world of books only after I came to Delhi for higher studies,” said Dr Jain, while talking to Bureaucrats India. “Since then, I have been reading and reading like anything,” she added. Dr Jain is from a town Baraut in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. She is currently posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Zone 1-cum-DCPO, Ludhiana.
 
She said but with a great sense of fulfillment that the library was completed in just three days with spontaneous support from all stakeholders, which has now become the real identity of Police Lines. “It is personally one of the most fulfilling initiatives till date for me. From conceptualization to execution, Book Nook became a reality in just three days,” she said, profusely thanking Rakesh Agarwal, Commissioner, Ludhiana Police “whose unflinching belief pushed us to challenge our limits”. She also thanked Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta for his support.
 
Dr Jain, who also loves to call herself a multitasker mom, bookaholic and optimist, said that Book Nook is a reading initiative started by the Ludhiana Police. It is a highly innovative reading-cum-activity area for kids of police personnel of all ranks. It has been launched in collaboration with NGO Aas Ehsaas. You can also collaborate by being a good donor of books. "Books in good shape are most welcome as donations," she said.
      
“What fills me with rare happiness is the fact that we have also given a job to Madhu, a political science graduate. She is the daughter of a Class IV employee working as a gardener at the Police Lines. She will be handling the reception and day to day functioning, which will promote a sense of ownership and belonging. She will get a monthly stipend of Rs 5,000. I wish we could have many more such libraries in every nook and corner of our habitats so that we could read good books. Projects like these will also encourage age old reading habit in our present generation as well as reduce screen time on social media,” she added.
 
Sharing her feelings, Dr Jain said that while arranging books the staff confessed that they have not even heard the names of most of the books we had got from Delhi for the library. “It was an honest confession. I too did not know about many books which my friends used to talk about or discuss during our conversations. It is a serious gap, which must be bridged at the earliest,” said she.
                  
DGP Gupta, who inaugurated Book Nook on August 6, said that Book Nook is a highly innovative reading-cum-activity area for the wards of police personnel, which will promote reading habits among them. He has asked Ludhiana CP Rakesh Agrawal to have such libraries and reading rooms for senior citizens so that they can come there and convert their free time into productive activities.
 
Book Nook has its own aesthetic ambience. It has educational, fictional and non-fictional books for four to 18 years olds besides an attractive thematic tent with several board games and indoor educational activities to boost motor activity coordination. 

Rajeev R & Navneet Anand /BI/