India better prepared to face any challenge, says Chidambaram

Hyderabad, Nov 6 : Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram Friday asserted that India was better prepared to face any challenge to its security, sovereignty and integrity but said there was much work to be done.

Addressing trainee police officers at the passing out parade at Sardar Vallabhbhai National Police Academy here, he said the country should always be vigilant.

"As a nation growing not only in numbers but also in influence, growing as economic power, a regional power, an Asian power, we can never afford to sleep. We must always remain vigilant," he said.

He said the government had taken a number of measures to improve the security system and brought about a number of changes.

"We are focussing on three principles of building capacity, competence and confidence. We are adding to capacity every day. We are increasing level of competence of police officers and we are taking measures to improve confidence of not only the police but also the public," he said.

The minister announced assistance to the academy to set up a research cell. He said Rs.2.5 crore was proposed as corpus fund for the research cell during 2010-2011. The cell will also be supported through an annual grant of Rs.20 lakh.

Since the academy has introduced mid-career training programme for Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, he announced that a 120-room senior officers mess would be built at a cost of Rs.30 crore.

As part of measures to make the academy secure, the government also planned to increase the strength of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which looks after the security of the academy.

Chidambaram noted that following his visit last year, the academy had started paying attention to new challenges like guerrilla warfare, jungle warfare, gathering and dissemination of intelligence and special tactics.