What would you picture if you were to imagine a police station anywhere in the country? While the image will conjure up several different descriptions, would you ever think that shelves stacked with books would be one of them? Yet, a police station at RK Puram, Delhi, is home to a multitude of titles. If you’re wondering why, the reason is rather endearing—the books are meant for children dwelling in neighbouring slums as a way to encourage them to learn and advance, staying clear of crime and other misdemeanours. Named the Delhi Police Public Library, this police station provides students coming from financially strapped backgrounds with a safe and peaceful environment to pursue their education.
In a statement to The New Indian Express, Rajesh Sharma, station house officer (SHO), RK Puram Police Station, said, “Schools have been closed for almost a year and the students, especially those living in nearby slums, are struggling to focus on studies as they don’t have a personal and peaceful space to study. Our idea was to set up a library with thousands of books, from fiction to those for competitive exams,” further adding, “Due to lack of support and facility, these youngsters get into bad company and take to a wrong path. We have not just set up the library but also tied up with an NGO that provides counselling and free coaching for competitive exams.”
As a means to provide the best resources possible, the library has been equipped with a smart classroom, computers, and internet connectivity. So far, it has about 2,300 books, over 1,900 magazines, and 15 newspapers for consumption. The facility is made available from Monday to Sunday between 10 am to 6 pm, and has the ability to accommodate about 100 students at a time. Sonal, a student of Class VIII, told the newspaper, “I live in a one-room accommodation with four members and did not have any facility to attend online classes. Now, I attend classes here and the police uncles also help us in clearing our doubts.”
But, this effort is a cause for celebration as it’s not the first, but second library to be opened by Delhi Police. The first one is situated at Jamia Nagar Police Station. If that’s not all, SHO Sharma and the Delhi Police Public Library was recently awarded a certificate of appreciation for innovative education from Asia Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Goa.
Image Courtesy: Twitter/Shikhar Organisation (@shikharngo)