“The process of learning, evolving and becoming better all the time will go on, and every assignment at the senior level in the government has its own challenges,” said senior IPS officer Atul Karwal, who took charge as the 32nd director of the prestigious Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, in the city on Friday.
In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, Mr. Atul, a 1988 batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre, said that minor changes keep on taking place as things change in the field and there is no need for any revamp in the training module.
“The academy is doing a wonderful job. So, nothing major need to be changed, nothing wrong with it and it is perfectly fine. I have been a probationer, a faculty member and, now I am back in the academy,” he said, when asked on what changes would he like to bring in the top police school.
The country’s first bureaucrat to scale the Mount Everest in 2008, Mr. Atul was earlier posted as the assistant director (outdoor training) of NPA from 1999 to 2002.
When asked what new aspects he would include in the training module for IPS probationers, the officer said, “It is too early to comment on it. We are open for learning and we keep evolving as we go.”
Responding to the observations made by Telangana State Police Academy director V.K. Singh, a few months ago, that all police academies in the country, including NPA, have become dumping grounds of non-performing officers, the new director said that his team is extremely competent.
“I have met the team today. I find that they are extremely competent and only dedicated people are posted here,” Mr. Atul said, adding that the NPA is one of the best institutions in India with the finest officers.
Prior to this, the senior police officer served as the Additional Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
On December 18, the Union government had issued orders appointing Mr. Atul Karwal as the director of the premier police school in the country by temporarily downgrading the post to the level of Additional Director General.
He will be the director for a combined tenure till December 5, 2021, the date of combined deputation of his tenure or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
Mr. Atul’s wife, Anita Karwal is the chairperson of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Their elder daughter, Janvi, works for Amazon in the US, and the younger one, Tanvi, is a post-doctoral researcher (physics) at the University of Pennsylvania.
Earlier in the day, the officer received a Guard of Honour and paid homage to the martyrs of Indian Police Service. Mr. Atul, who is a fitness, sports and adventure sports enthusiast, also holds a first degree in black belt in Wing-Tsun Kung Fu and is trained in martial arts from Donald Melville.
A passionate sky and scuba diver, Mr. Atul recently completed Half Ironman held in Goa.
