Constable finds a way to teach kids who have no access to digital devices.

Corona-virus pandemic has hit the world and not very soon after its attack that everything came to a standstill. Small and medium businesses, educational institutions, entertainment and food industry - every sphere suffered a huge loss. While the educational institutions were closed, most of the students jumped in the joy that they have got a long break from the daily timetables and weekend tests. However, online classes and online exams took their happiness away. Students started attending the school from home, started following the same timetables with smartphones and laptops becoming their blackboards. They have been learning everything online and their exams are being conducted without wasting their precious academic year. It's all going good till here. But to this side of the coin, there's another flip side where students from impoverished backgrounds are seen with no academic activity at all. They go to small schools that don't have resources to conduct online classes. Even if the schools offer online classes and digital notes to them, these students come from very low income families that they cannot even think of a smart phone. Such students whose studies were given a long pause because of lack of resources, are just wasting their time in unwanted activities. Imagine their one complete academic year was dissolved in the shadows of the virus. Even if they open their books, who knows what all they remember! I'm now able to recollect the inability of a third grade boy forgetting numbers from above 100. What more pathetic can you see than a child draining out of all his learnings owing to such a long break! Slum children and those from backward villages who don't have access to technology fell behind those who could afford a tablet. They lost track of themselves too. While a few NGOs and organisations have been trying to make it right for these children, a few individuals with great thinking also have come forward to save these children from drowning into the darkness. One such individual is Than Singh who took the responsibility of providing education to children in these tough times. 

A Constable With A Chalk: 

Than Singh works as a constable with Delhi Police. He takes classes for children from the Sai Temple at Red Fort parking. His students hail from economically weaker sections mainly the children of labourers in the city. However, with the onset of pandemic, he stopped taking classes in view of their safety. But as the students elsewhere continued to receive education through online classes and digital platforms, Than Singh understood that these children would fall back in their academics as they cannot afford digital devices. Thus, in order not to allow them suffer their fate, he resumed his classes even during the pandemic by following all the required precautions.

"I have been running this school for a long time but during the start of the pandemic I closed it for children’s safety. But, when I saw many students were not able to take online classes, I decided to restart my school because they don’t have devices like phone and computers.”, he told the ANI. By following all the health protocols issued by the Ministry of Health, Than Singh is taking students through their academic journey. Also, he is educating students about the virus, it's nature, and the importance of hygiene so that these children go back to their slums and educate their elders about the same. "I am educating these children about good hygiene habits that should be practised for protection against COVID-19. I am also providing them sanitisers, masks and we practise social distancing in our class," he told the Hindustan Times.

Praised For selfless service.

It was evidently visible how policemen struggled to restrict the public from becoming the carriers of virus. These frontline warriors discharged their duties with no track on time while risking their own lives. The levels of stress they have undergone was clearly noticed by every citizen of the country. Under such a scenario, policemen like Than Singh went beyond their line of duty, felt it as their responsibility to serve the public, and did whatever they could to the people. "May such spirit of Constable Than Singh continue to grow in his life despite very tough working conditions of Police Department", a netizen wrote in praise of Than Singh. 

While there were also cases where public became furious by the way few policemen misused their power during the lockdown, Than Singh's gesture is reviving the concept of friendly policing driving away the fear in public. May more officers gracefully follow his example and create a promise of positivity among people regarding their service.