Bhaskar Rao is a Karnataka-born Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the 1990 batch. A Bengaluru native, he joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi on Monday after serving 32 years in the Bengaluru police force in various roles. His resignation from service was recently approved by the Karnataka Government, after which joined the AAP at the party headquarters in the presence of CM Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.
Bhaskar Rao said during the ceremony, “I am very impressed with the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal, looking at the administration of Delhi in last 6 to7 years. My mission is to bring the good governance of Arvind Kejriwal to south India, especially in Bengaluru. There’s no dearth of anything but quality leadership in Karnataka.”
Here are a few facts you should know about the Former Bengaluru Police Commissioner.
- He earned his PUC from St. Joseph’s Arts & Science College in Bangalore and his degree in Psychology, Economics, and Sociology from National College in Jayanagar, Bangalore. He earned a master’s degree in economics from Bangalore University. He was a member of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and the NCC (Armed Corps).
- He has attended schools in both North and South-India. Mount Carmel School, Bokaro Thermal Power Station, Kamala Nehru Makkala Mandira-Bangalore, Sri Kumaran’s Children Home-Bangalore, Notre Dame Academy, and St. Michaels High School in Patna, Bihar, were among his first schools. He stated during an interview, “I’ve had the benefit of growing up both in North India as well as South India and I’m steeped in both languages, both cultures, and I’m extremely comfortable in friend circles and have a wide variety of friends all over the country. That is my biggest wealth.”
- He had taken the initiative to plant 2200 teak seedlings in the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) Munirabad grounds along with KSRP officers. He created a campaign called “Karavaligere Join Police” to attract young people from Karnataka’s coastal areas to join the police service.
- During the COVID-19 pandemic in India, he was appointed as the special nodal officer in charge of supervising and enforcing COVID-19 guidelines for the northern range, while also serving as the Additional Director General of Police for Railways. He issued a series of instructions for dealing with the pandemic, urging all merchants groups to wear masks, sanitize, and keep social distance. Rao suggested that banners be used to raise awareness in the local language. He also instructed all public transportation systems not to transport anyone without masks.
- Rao also worked on a project in which railway police officers would train railway employees on how to deal with nuisance mongers and larceny. He designed police officers’ “Happy to Help” visiting cards, which would be distributed to passengers. In the event of an emergency, passengers can quickly contact the police.
- In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, he implemented a policy whereby anytime a Government Railway Police officer returns to work after receiving COVID treatment, they are greeted with a hearty welcome at the railway police stations. In addition, he directed that hot water and immunity booster be provided in police stations.
- In 2020–21, while acting as the Commissioner of Bengaluru City Police, Rao urged residents to engage in community engagement by appealing for volunteers to assist the police in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic. He authorised teams to transform marriage halls into shelters to solve the issue of migrant labour.
- He had made it illegal to photograph COVID-19 patients without their consent. When the number of COVID-19 cases in Bengaluru grew, Rao told all police officers above the age of 55 to stay at home. He also told the patrolling officers to stay away from police stations. During the Lockdown, he developed a pass system to manage the movement of people and cars in the city and to make essential services, food, and e-commerce delivery services more accessible.
- After receiving repeated complaints from constables about their workload interfering with their personal lives, Rao issued an order requiring them to take leave on their birthdays in order to spend time with their families. All constables in charge of law and order, traffic, the criminal branch, and the city’s armed reserve police received this allowance.
- During his time as the ADGP of the Karnataka State Reserve Police, he issued a circular ordering personnel who were careless about their health and lifestyle to be suspended or fired. After a number of officers died as a result of lifestyle-related ailments, this circular was published. He instituted frequent BMI monitoring and began an activity programme for obese police officers. He organized the “Karnataka Darshan,” a 1,756-kilometer bicycle event to promote the idea of the “Clean India Mission.”
- Upon Bhaskar Rao’s request, director Yogaraj Bhat produced a music video to inspire volunteers and donors who assist people in combating Corona during the pandemic.
