By IANS
Jaipur : Rajasthan has decided to provide free basic education to illiterate inmates in all its jails.
The Education in Jails programme, presently being undertaken as a pilot project in Udaipur, Ajmer and Sri Ganganagar prisons, has had such an enthusiastic response from jail inmates that the government has now decided to extend it to all prisons.
“The education department has decided to provide study materials and teachers free of cost for this purpose,” an education department official told IANS.
The programme will have two-hour classes daily for prisoners for at least 100 days. The duration can be extended depending on the response.
“We already have written to jail superintendents about it and initiated the process to identify illiterate prisoners,” officials said.
Teachers who are enthusiastic and are comparatively calm in nature would be asked to volunteer for the project, officials said.
Also, in a bid to improve the image of the police, its personnel will be imparted training in “soft skills”.
The pilot project to be implemented in 10 districts of the state will have all personnel up to the rank of inspector undergo training on how to handle the public and make the services of the police department more efficient and effective.