‘COP’PING IT UP!
   Date :01-Feb-2020

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ONE of the major forces that ensure India’s internal security, the Police Department, is woefully understaffed with the latest data revealing that over 5 lakh police posts are vacant across the country. The annual data pegs the difference between sanctioned police force and actual strength at 5.28,165. It is a spike of over 26,000 in vacancy figures of year 2018. The number is a grim reminder of youth’s disinterest in joining police force and also points to the reluctance of the authorities to reform. Police is a State subject but it remains a vital cog in fighting crime and keeping internal areas safe. That the youth is not interested in becoming a cop should force the planners to effect a change in working style as well as perks of the force. Understaffed police force has a cascading effect on core activities like maintaining law and order and can also compromise criminal investigations. India lags behind many countries in police personnel per lakh population. Attempted police reforms have failed to yield desired results despite clear understanding of its gravity.
THE FIGHTER
AT fag end of his career, at the age of 38 with a hurt body at disposal, Roger Federer refuses to quit. He keeps turning up on tennis courts to turn on an enigmatic journey till it lasts. Loss does not matter, for, a loss is only occasional. The tennis world does not mind it, like it did when their favourite went down to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open. It was the survival of the fittest and Federer was always going to trail in the battle of fitness against a relatively younger Djokovic. Yet, Federer deserves all love and kudos for always showing up and fight till the end. Here, Federer was handicapped by a painful groin muscle but it did not stop him from engineering two great escapes that will remain etched in the memory. Two games on trot he saved a series of match points to come from the dead. That is the greatness of Roger Federer, the eternal fighter. The Australian Open is gone but three more Grand Slams beckon in the year. As he has always done, the Swiss great will show up yet again to prove his love for the game.