Women’s Safety on Trains: Pune RPF’s ‘Tejaswini Squad’ and ‘Meri Saheli’ in Action
Reported by Amit Singh
Pune, 10th February 2025: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Pune Division, under the leadership of Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Sr DSC) Priyanka Sharma, has intensified efforts to enhance passenger safety, particularly for women and children. With a workforce of over 650 personnel, including 73 Maharashtra Security Forces staff, the RPF is ensuring round-the-clock security at stations, on running trains, in yards, and across railway premises.
Tejaswini Squad for Women and Child Safety
Sharma spoke to Punekar News, highlighting the Tejaswini Squad, a special team dedicated to ensuring the safety of women and children on local, short-distance, and suburban trains. The squad is now directly linked to Rail Madad, receiving complaints in real-time and responding promptly.
The squad comprises:
– One Female ASI
– Three Female Personnel
– One Male Personnel
Key responsibilities include:
– Handling cases of unauthorised passengers in ladies’ compartments.
– Addressing eve-teasing complaints and reporting them to GRP.
– Identifying children in distress and following the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for child protection.
– Taking action against unauthorised hawkers in railway premises.
The squad receives daily reports from the control room and acts based on previous complaints. Monthly performance reviews are conducted, and team members are shuffled every month.
Meri Saheli Initiative: Safety for Solo Women Passengers
Sharma highlighted the Meri Saheli initiative, which ensures a safer journey for solo female passengers on long-distance trains. She cited an example of Pune-Danapur Express, where the team identifies solo travellers from Passenger Reservation Charts, counsels them on safety measures, provides assistance numbers, and informs station authorities en route. This process continues until the passenger reaches their destination.
Sharma mentioned that while earlier, teams collected passenger feedback, this practice was discontinued due to complaints.
Operation Nanhe Faristey: Rescuing Lost and Abandoned Children
The Operation Nanhe Faristey initiative has been instrumental in rescuing over 300 children in Pune Division in 2024. The mission operates under Mission Vatsalya initiative of Ministry of Women and Child Development which aligns with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on child rights, awareness, and strengthening the juvenile justice care and protection system.
Technology-Driven Safety Measures
Sharma informed that Facial Recognition System (FRS) Cameras will be installed in April 2025 at two major stations:
– Pune Station – 140 FRS Cameras
– Miraj Station – 130 FRS Cameras
These cameras will help identify criminals, violators, missing persons, and children by leveraging data from various departments. In the future, every Pune Division railway station will have at least 10 FRS cameras.
Action Against Begging Rackets Under Anti-Beggary Law
The RPF Pune Division is in discussions with governing bodies to take action against begging rackets under the Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959. The law empowers police officers to apprehend individuals found begging without a warrant. Sharma stated that a special drive will be launched to curb this issue as per SOP.
