Ten tribal youths from a remote village in Chhattisgarh have successfully cracked the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and state police constable examinations after receiving two years of coaching from troops belonging to an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) battalion engaged in anti-Naxal operations.
The success story emerges from the Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district, located in the south-western part of the state, which borders Maharashtra, officials informed the media. The region is currently affected by Naxal violence and adjoins the Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, as well as the Rajnandgaon, Bastar, and Kanker districts within Chhattisgarh.
Approximately two years ago, the Company Operating Base (COB) of the 27 ITBP battalion, situated in Aundhi village — around 200 km from the capital Raipur — engaged a group of local tribal youths, launching career counselling and physical training sessions for them. A senior officer confirmed that the youngsters, aged between 23 and 25 years, demonstrated excellent determination, worked diligently with the ITBP instructors, and recently cleared the written and physical tests for recruitment as police constables by the SSC and the Chhattisgarh state. The publication of the final merit list is still pending.
Commanding Officer of the 27 ITBP battalion Vivek Kumar Pandey and district Superintendent of Police YP Singh honoured the achievers during a public event in Aundhi. An officer stated: "This achievement of the local tribal youth signifies a critical shift in the mindset of the region that is trying to come out from the grip of the LWE menace as the government has declared to end Maoism from the country by March 2026."
In addition to guidance, the ITBP personnel provided study materials, financial support, and other logistics to help the students succeed— assistance for which the youngsters expressed deep gratitude. "The ITBP personnel held our hands and guided us to this success. They supported us with study material, money and logistics to help us find our place in society and serve the nation," said Nayan Kumar Bansode, one of the successful candidates, at the event.
This region has experienced major LWE violence in the past, including the Naxal ambush in July 2009 in which the then SP V. K. Chaubey and 28 other police personnel were killed. The ITBP, with the assistance of the local police, has since neutralised top Naxal commanders operating in the district, including a major encounter in August involving senior Naxal leaders Vijay Reddy and Lokesh Salame, alongside the apprehension and surrender of several other cadres. The border force, primarily tasked with guarding the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, has been deployed in this region since 2009. Over the last two years, it has also launched a first-ever veterinary field hospital, alongside one for locals, benefiting approximately 5,000 villagers, officials said.
Also read: 210 Naxals surrender in Chhattisgarh
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