Stating this here, ITBP Director General Gautam Kaul said various competitions planned for the meet include rifle and pistol shooting, police photography, forensic sciences, obedience of dog squads, computer awareness, wireless and cryptography, first-aid and ambulance drill as well as observation tests.

About 150 officers and 1,800 non-gazetted officers from Central Police Organisations, 24 states and three Union Territories are expected to attend the meet. So far, Himachal Pradesh is the only state which, for yet undisclosed reasons, is not sending a team.

The meet was to be organised by a state agency in the year 1998, but for some reasons it could not be carried out. The meet for 1999 would be organised later this year by another state agency.

A sum of Rs 8 lakh has been made available by the All India Police Control Board for meeting organising expenditure. Besides, each team would bear their own individual expenditure. Kaul said that these events not only create competitive spirit, but are useful for exchange of ideas and techniques which are fundamental to police activities.

He said the board had decided to discontinue wireless and first-aid competitions, but these are being included as optional events as these are essential services in disaster management and social work carried out by the ITBP.