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- Institutes to work together on reducing the no. of road accidents by 10 percent in the state and enhance social security
- MoU aims to conduct research on implementing road-safety measures and generating awareness among the citizens of Madhya Pradesh
- IIM Indore to develop a course to train administrators and policy-makers for effective road management
As per government data, road accidents are the leading cause of hospitalizations, deaths, and disabilities in the country. On average, about 1,50,000 people perish due to road accidents in India annually. Government data suggests that apart from lane indiscipline, jumping red lights, drunk driving, and using a mobile phone, over 70 percent of road accidents occur due to over-speeding, which accounts for 6 percent of the deaths from road accidents.
IIM Indore is determined to remain contextually relevant and contribute to the welfare of society and nation-building. The institute has now taken a step to conduct research and share knowledge in road safety and security and has joined forces with the Police Training and Research Institute, Bhopal (PTRI). The MoU was signed by Prof. Himanshu Rai, Director, IIM Indore, and Mr. G. Janardhan, IPS, Additional Director of Police, PTRI, Police Headquarters, Bhopal, on August 29, 2022. Mr. Manoj Rai, AIG, PTRI Bhopal; Mr. Rakesh Gupta, IPS, AIG – Rural, Indore; and Mr. Harinarayan Chari Mishra, IPS, Police Commissioner, Indore, were also present. The MoU aims to establish a framework for collaboration and cooperation for research and knowledge sharing in the field of road safety and providing solutions to road safety and social security issues.
Sharing intense figures about the deaths of on-duty police officers from his previous research with the Uttar Pradesh government, Prof. Himanshu Rai said that 35,000 police officers had lost their lives since independence. ‘While working on the report, I was also stunned to learn that the perception of police officers is usually negative, despite their dedicated, devoted, and prolonged working hours. It is natural for police officers to feel hassled and anxious, for they are working non-stop to ensure our safety. Then, I decided that we need to do something for our brilliant police officers, he said. This MoU with PTRI Bhopal is yet another initiative by IIM Indore to facilitate the police officers in their jobs by identifying the issues related to road safety and offering them training and solutions to lessen the number of accidents in the state. Fifty-five percent of road accidents are on the highways, and one-third of the wounded are on two-wheeler. Road accidents impact the GDP, as our logistics sluggish down and are wedged by 14 percent when the traffic is slow. Nobody wants to invest in a city, state, or country that isn’t safe. We need to reinforce law and order, implement strategies that make our cities safe and secure, especially for women, and help reduce the number of accidents annually by 10 percent. With our expertise in management, strategy, and planning, he said, we look forward to conducting training and educational sessions for the administrators and policy-makers in the road safety and security field. He added that the MoU comprises creating reports, making plans, conducting conferences, collaborating for joint research, etc., which boost cooperation and collaboration in fields of mutual interest. ‘I am sure this association would prove fruitful in developing solutions to the road and social security issues by planning and engineering and provide a platform for faculty exchange’, said Prof. Rai.
Mr. G. Janardhan expressed his delight over collaborating with IIM Indore. He said that PTRI is happy to join hands with IIM Indore, one of the premier management institutes in India. ‘I am sure the robustly designed teaching module by the brilliant IIM Indore faculty would pave the path for generating effective solutions for road safety. Every year 12,000 people lose their lives in road accidents in the state. With the increase in cases related to road safety and other social issues, training modules by the faculty from IIM Indore would further augment our managerial and leadership skills’. He said that research in emerging areas of road safety would also be helpful, for the report would then be submitted to various funding agencies. PTRI and IIM Indore will work together on issues related specifically to Madhya Pradesh, thereby contributing to the administrative growth of the state, identifying the accident-prone areas, generating awareness among the citizens about the road safety measures, boosting the infrastructure, and preparing guidelines for traffic rules according to the region.
Mr. Manoj Rai stated that there had been a 21 percent upsurge in the number of road accidents, an 11 percent rise in fatalities, and a 25 percent increase in the figure of the victims. ‘Madhya Pradesh Safety Plan focuses on 4Es – Education, Enforcement, Engineering, and Emergency Care. However, this hasn’t been executed effectively. This MoU with IIM Indore will aid us in identifying the root cause of such issues and implement the guidelines in a better way’, he said.
Mr. Rakesh Gupta said that the number of road accidents is substantial in rural areas, for every road from a village is connected to a highway. ‘Traffic management in urban areas might be comparatively more manageable, but it’s time we identify the methods that eliminate devastating highway accidents. He said that the development of roads, driving speed, clear vision for the driver, and eligibility of a driver need to be reconsidered.
Mr. Harinarayan Chari Mishra added that the figure for accident fatalities in India is higher than in foreign nations, for the quality of roads and awareness among the citizens in a foreign land is way better than in India. ‘With the emergence of technology, we live in a world of driverless cars. He said that we need to predict and analyze future challenges that may arise to ensure our citizens’ safety.
The MoU will be valid for five years. IIM Indore has signed an MoU with the Madhya Pradesh Police to further reinforce the two’s professionalism and contribute to developing a superior security environment and orderliness in public places through a mutual academic-practitioner collaboration system. The institute also has associations with Panchayat & Rural Development Department (R&RDD), MP Urban Development and Housing, and MP Industrial Development Corporation. IIM Indore is also researching beat policing and regularly organizes financial literacy workshops for the wives of police officers.
Over 100 police officers also witnessed the MoU signing ceremony at IIM Indore. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Col. Gururaj Gopinath Pamidi (Veteran), CAO, IIM Indore.