Hyderabad: From being a farmer’s daughter to the Best All-round Lady IPS Probationer, Ms Richa Tomar, mother of a two-and-a-half-year-old is among the 103 IPS probationers of the 70th batch at the Sardar Vallabbhai Patel National Police Academy who will pass out on Saturday.
Her journey stands apart from the rest. Coming from an agricultural background, the officer, who is in her late 20s, worked in the Uttar Pradesh government before joining the IPS. Ms Tomar hails from Hasanpur Jiwani, a remote village in Baghpat district of UP.
Ms Tomar is the fourth of six children, five of them daughters, of the family of a farmer, Rajendrapal Singh. She secured a master’s degree in microbiology and joined the UP government as a DANIPS (Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Police Service) officer before she joined the NPA.
“I studied in government institutions and became an IPS officer. This institution (NPA) has changed the lives of many including me. It made us break many limits. My son was one year old when I got selected. I was confused about taking up the training, but my in-laws and family members supported me and here I am,” Ms Tomar says.
Ms Tomar, who has been allotted to the Rajasthan cadre, said, “Every big incident of crime starts with a small issue, which should not be neglected. I want to focus on three things. Empathy towards those who reach out to us for help. The public comes to the police in helpless situations and we have to understand their problem. I would like to work on crimes against women and children,. My third priority is to provide prompt response for any issue brought to my notice.”
Asked about her son, the officer with a smile said: “Shivansh is two-and-a-half years old now. My husband Rajneesh is an ACP with the Delhi Police and has been supportive of my journey.”
Closer home, Mr Gaush Alam, the Best All-round IPS probationer, has been allotted to the Telangana state cadre.
Mr Alam, a mechanical engineer from IIT-Bombay, hails from Gaya district in Bihar but was brought up in Delhi. He lost his father at a very young age and faced many hardships.
“My father worked as a Subedar in the Army and passed away when I was very young. After graduation at IIT-Bombay, I worked in an MNC for a year and started preparation for the UPSC. It was a dream for me to join the All India Services,” he said. Mr Alam said, “I am hopeful that I will deliver what I am expected to as a police officer. The police of Telangana state are professional and have a great image among the public. I am hopeful that I will be able to fulfil public expectations.”
Asked what he would want to advise youngsters, Mr Alam said: “Do not ever lose hope. Good things will come to you after anything bad happens. I am a good example of this.”
