The Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU), which boasts of offering an academic-research-training ecosystem for security and police, is set to open its first offshore centre in Dubai starting next year. The varsity will also offer courses from a campus in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam. The J&K campus is also aimed at providing employment to youth, specifically from the rural and semi-urban areas. A key focus area at both the new establishments will be providing trained manpower for private security forces, said the varsity’s Vice-Chancellor Bimal Patel. With student enrolment at the Budgam campus expected to commence in March 2024, Patel told The Indian Express, “It will train those who want to join police forces - as constables, inspectors and in other roles - and at the same time also those who want to join private industrial security forces." “What we want to do is train rural and semi-urban youths in Jammu and Kashmir. There is the Private Securities Agencies Regulation (PASAR) Act, 2005. We will provide professional training with knowledge, skills and aptitude and they will immediately have jobs in the private security organisation. Private security is the second largest employer in the real estate sector, so there’s an assured job market demand in the area of private security. We too are advocating that private industry should be a skilled industry. Secondly, bringing them from the organised sector to the unorganised sector will have an impact on our economy. Currently, the industry needs trained manpower which it is short of. If we can tap the rural and semi-urban youth, it will give them employment, result in their social integration and result in peace and stability, so we are using these techniques as tools to bring opportunities for them…by and large, I believe it would be the local people (who would be availing these courses)," he added. The J&K government has cleared the file for the Budgam campus proposal, said Patel. Extending its global footprint, RRU, which is an 'institute of national importance', is also due to establish an “offshore centre” in Dubai, the V-C announced at the third convocation of the university on Saturday that was addressed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. Formerly the Raksha Shakti University, the RRU was established as an institute of national importance by an act of parliament in 2020. Explaining the significance of an offshore centre instead of establishing a campus, Patel added, “The idea would be to collaborate with local universities, organisations and law enforcement agencies. The largest Indian diaspora is in the Middle East. The idea is to provide them (the Middle East) knowledge and skills but also train local manpower, instead of getting such manpower, say, from India. We would train them in Dubai itself in areas such as police administration, cybersecurity, AI/ML etc. We will be mapping out the demands of the Middle Eastern society, the diaspora there as well, and we will be providing diploma and certificate courses.” .
