Bhubaneswar: As many as 336 Cadet Sub-Inspectors of the 13th batch of the Biju Patnaik State Police Academy passed out on Friday after completing two years of rigorous indoor and outdoor training, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi urging them to uphold integrity, discipline and justice in the discharge of their duties.
Addressing the passing-out parade at the academy here, Majhi said the occasion was not merely a formal ceremony but a celebration of dedication, discipline, sacrifice and excellence.
The Chief Minister congratulated the newly appointed officers and noted with satisfaction that the batch included 70 women Sub-Inspectors, describing their presence as a reflection of women’s empowerment and the changing social scenario in Odisha.
“The police uniform is not just a uniform; it carries the authority granted by the Constitution and the responsibility of serving society,” Majhi said, according to the official statement.
He urged the newly appointed officers to use the authority vested in them to ensure justice for weaker sections of society and stressed that no innocent person should be harassed while no criminal should be allowed to escape.
Majhi said Odisha Police was continuously adapting to emerging challenges, including modern forms of crime, technology-driven offences and cyber fraud. He also credited the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for what he described as the complete elimination of Maoist and Naxal violence from the state.
The Chief Minister said industrialisation and maintenance of law and order would be crucial for building a prosperous Odisha over the next decade and underlined the need for police modernisation and human resource development.
According to the statement, 17,794 new posts have been created in the police department during the last two years, of which 5,817 have been filled. Vehicles and fuel allowances are also being provided to improve the operational efficiency of police stations, it said.
Majhi reiterated the state government’s resolve to make Odisha a “drug-free state” by 2029 and called upon the police force to adopt the SMART POLICING approach to become more proactive.
He gave the newly appointed officers three key messages — maintain zero tolerance towards corruption, uphold the highest standards of discipline and never misuse official power. They should protect the innocent and ensure that the guilty are punished in accordance with law, he said.
The Chief Minister also felicitated cadets who excelled in different areas of training. P. Nalini Rao, who secured the highest marks, received the Governor’s Medal, trophy and a cash prize of Rs 10,000.
Trophies and prizes were also presented to Tejaswini Mohanty, Yudhishthir Behera, Laxman Kumar Mohanty, Sasmita Khuntia, Niharika Tripathy and Ashutosh Nayak for their outstanding performance in police training.
Director General of Police Vinaytosh Mishra advised the newly appointed officers to work towards delivering justice to the common people and discharge their responsibilities with courage, dedication and integrity despite the challenges associated with police service.
Mishra stressed the importance of technology and smart policing systems in tackling emerging threats such as cybercrime. He also highlighted Odisha Police’s achievements in anti-Naxal operations and thanked personnel across the force for their contribution.
Director of the Biju Patnaik State Police Academy and Inspector General of Police Anup Kumar Sahoo delivered the welcome address and presented the academy’s annual report.
Senior police officers, training instructors, family members and guardians of the newly appointed officers, and media representatives attended the passing-out parade.
