Indian Institute of Technology Mandi has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Himachal Pradesh Police (HPP) on 25^th September 2020 to set up an institutional mechanism for interaction between the two organisations for a period of 5 years. The MoU was signed by Prof. Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Mandi, and Mr. Sanjay Kundu, Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh.

The purpose of this MoU is to facilitate the police personnel by updating their knowledge on the new technologies, research and analytics; geographical and temporal analysis of crime and public orders; cybercrimes and cyber security; traffic management, threat and security analysis; people friendly mobile applications; material science, and network analysis.

Speaking about the collaboration, Prof, Ajit K. Chaturvedi, Director, IIT Mandi, said, “This is a landmark occasion as it brings together two parties from different walks of life and has the potential to be mutually beneficial. The initial phase of interaction will be important so that a good foundation is laid for sustained collaboration.”

Through this MoU, IIT Mandi and HPP will connect the faculty, researchers and students with the police officials. This partnership aims to undertake mutually beneficial research & analysis programmes and to conduct training and capacity building programmes. Along with this, IIT Mandi will give periodic recommendations for improvement in police working especially with respect to systems, protocols, technologies and training.

Another aspect of this MoU will enable HPP to recognise and facilitate IIT Mandi in publishing research papers and conducting specific projects. IIT Mandi will also send students in each academic session for a short term internship (ranging from one week to one month), to the state police units and Police Stations through the State Police Headquarters. During the internship, students will get a chance to look into First Information Reports (FIRs) of IT-related cases and assist Police Officers in the use of technology in such cases. This internship programme will provide the students with unparalleled exposure.

Regular academic conferences, workshops and discussions on the technological process, collection of IT evidence, coordination and functioning of District Technical Cell and problems faced by Investigating Officers (IOs) during a technical investigation, will also be a part of this collaboration. The Institute will also help Police Officers in better use of open source tools for the betterment of police force, predictive policing, workflow process, inventory management and presentations among others.