Border Village Development: RRU Students Visit Himachal Frontiers
Newz Daddy Educational Updates
The School of Internal Security and SMART Policing (SISSP) at Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) recently conducted an educational visit to Himachal Pradesh under the Vibrant Village Programme (VVP). The visit was organised in collaboration with the Indo‑Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India (MHA), within the Area of Responsibility of Sector Headquarters, ITBP Shimla.
Rashtriya Raksha University is an institution of national importance under the Ministry of Home Affairs of India, specialising in national security, policing, cyber security and internal security training. The Vibrant Village Programme is a centrally-sponsored scheme aimed at developing remote border villages in states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, strengthening both development and security parameters.
The programme gave students practical exposure to border area development, internal security challenges, and SMART policing practices in high-altitude regions. An inaugural session at Sector Headquarters, Shimla kicked things off, where officers briefed participants about ITBP’s operational role, organizational structure, and its contribution to India’s border management.
The ITBP is the primary border guarding force at the India-China border, trained for high-altitude and mountain operations. The area of Himachal Pradesh near the border has terrain challenges such as extreme altitude, narrow roads, snow, landslides and limited connectivity, so field exposure gives students real-world understanding beyond classrooms.
Students explored various remote and strategically important border villages including Shipkila Pass, Lepcha Pass, Chango, Namgia, Chitkul, Sumdo, Moorang, Mastrang, Gue, Tabo, Charang, and Sangla Valley. These visits helped them understand the critical role of border regions in national security and witness the developmental initiatives implemented under the Vibrant Village Programme.
For example, under VVP in Himachal, 75 villages have been selected in the first phase, with approved infrastructure projects worth over ₹117 crore for roads, solar street lights, community halls and skill-development. Some of the villages visited, like Chitkul and Chango in Kinnaur district, are among the remotest and highest inhabited spots in India, giving the students a chance to see the frontier environment and the link between development and security.
The students interacted with local villagers, Gram Panchayat Pradhans, and ITBP personnel, gaining insights into community engagement, border area challenges, and rural resilience. A memorable highlight was the Diwali celebration with ITBP personnel, symbolizing unity and the shared spirit of service and patriotism.
Community engagement at border villages under VVP emphasises empowerment of youth, women, local entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism and “one village one product” approaches. Celebrating festivals such as Diwali with security personnel helps strengthen the civil-military interface in the remote border zones and fosters trust and morale among local communities and forces alike.
Students also interacted with senior officers including the Deputy Inspector General, Sector Headquarters Shimla, and the Director General of Police, Himachal Pradesh, who shared their experiences on leadership, coordination, and people-centric policing in difficult terrains.
People-centric policing in high-altitude border regions includes outreach to communities, intelligence gathering in remote areas, weather-resilient mobility and infrastructure, and coordination between CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) and state police. These insights help students develop a nuanced understanding of internal security beyond urban policing.
The valedictory session, held at Sector Headquarters, ITBP Shimla, marked the programme’s conclusion. Officers appreciated the enthusiasm and discipline of the students and encouraged them to apply their learnings in the field of internal security and community policing.
Field-based programmes of this kind align with RRU’s mission of TRAINING, RESEARCH, EDUCATION & EXTENSION (TREE model) in internal security and policing. Encouraging students to apply their learnings means that such visits are not just exposure but form part of professional development and future-ready policing competency building.
The visit demonstrated the strong collaboration between Rashtriya Raksha University and ITBP, reinforcing the Government of India’s commitment to preparing future-ready policing professionals through experiential and field-based learning.
This kind of collaboration also aligns with the broader vision of the Vibrant Village Programme which links frontier development with security enhancement, the government recognises that better infrastructure, youth engagement, and local development strengthen border resilience and national security.
