151 officer trainees to participate in 78th batch’s Dikshant Parade at National Police Academy

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Officer trainees during the curtain-raiser programme for the Dikshant Parade of IPS probationers of the 78th Regular Recruit (RR) batch of 2025, at the SVP National Police Academy in Hyderabad on Thursday. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

A total of 151 officer trainees, including 37 women, will participate in the Dikshant Parade of the 78th batch of regular recruits at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad on Saturday (October 17, 2026).

Sujeet Pandey, Director of SVPNPA, said that the batch comprises 135 Indian Police Service (IPS) probationers and 16 foreign officers from Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan will review the parade as the chief guest.

Among the trainees, two officers were allotted the Telangana cadre and eight the Andhra Pradesh cadre. Harsh Dabaria, a native of Rajasthan, and N. Chetana Reddy, from Telangana, were allotted the Telangana cadre.

The Andhra Pradesh cadre officers are Chakka Snehith, Challa Pavan Kalyan, Ganesna Bhanusri Lakshmi Annapurna Pratyusha, Mukund Singh Chahar, Nikhil Yadav, Shah Mohd Imran Mohd Irfan, Urmi Sinha and Veer Rishikesh Nagnath.

Four other officers from Telangana were allotted cadres outside their home State. K. Arpitha will serve in Uttar Pradesh, Chowhan Rajkumar in Rajasthan, and Merugu Kaushik and Penkeesu Dheeraj Reddy in Maharashtra. Potupureddi Bhargav, from Andhra Pradesh, was allotted the Tamil Nadu cadre.

Trophy winners during the curtain-raiser programme for the Dikshant Parade of IPS probationers of the 78th Regular Recruit (RR) batch of 2025, at SVP Academy in Hyderabad on Thursday. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G

The trainees joined the Hyderabad academy on December 8, 2025, after completing a 15-week foundation course at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie.

The SVPNPA Director said that their 45-week training at the academy was focused on conventional policing alongside emerging challenges, including cyber crime, cryptocurrency-related fraud, financial crimes, drug trafficking, the darknet, artificial intelligence and threats posed by drones.

The curriculum also covers the implementation of the three new criminal laws, investigation, forensics, internal security, public order, information technology, criminology, police management, ethics and human rights.

Practical instruction includes investigation and riot-control simulations, mock court proceedings, case studies and exercises involving investigative tools.

Outdoor training encompasses weapons handling, firing, unarmed combat, fieldcraft, tactical operations, map reading, physical fitness, yoga and equitation.

The final examinations in indoor and outdoor subjects were completed, while qualifying examinations in cadre languages, driving, swimming, first aid and other subjects will be conducted during the second phase.