In the wake of the rise in crimes against women, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started imparting self-defence training to girl students in civic schools. To make them fearless and courageous, the civic body is providing training of Judo and Karate to girl students from Classes 6 to 9.
The BMC, in its annual education budget, had promised to provide Judo/Karate training to girl students studying in the civic-run schools. Accordingly, the exercise has now been started in municipal schools.
“The physical training teachers in the BMC-run schools were first trained by Judo/Karate experts in the city, and now these teachers are giving self- defence lessons to the girl students. The training is given in the civic body’s 14 training centres,” said a civic official from the BMC education department.
Judo and Karate are types of martial arts developed in Japan, which uses hand techniques to immobilise or subdue an opponent. They are considered to be one of the best methods for self-defence.
The training teaches how to protect oneself and tackle the assailant by using various techniques of Judo and Karate.
“The first phase will train 7,000-8,000 girls in the 14 training centres. The trained girls will then be employed to train students from lower division classes. The classes are held during the physical training periods and holidays,” said the official.
According to the civic officials, there are 1.75 lakh girl students in the civic schools. The BMC’s annual education budget for the year 2012-13 is `2,342 crore. The BMC has 1,319 schools that cater to 4,39,108 students.
MNS group leader Dilip Lande, who had demanded the training in Judo/Karate to girl students in civic schools, expressed satisfaction over the move. “Given the rise in the cases of atrocities against women, it has become necessary to provide Judo/Karate training to girls for their security,” he said.