Indian CAPF, special forces canine squad in France for Olympics venue security
New Delhi (PTI): Ten specially-trained Indian CAPF and special commando force dogs are in France to provide a counter-terrorist and anti-sabotage security cover to various venues of the Paris Olympics slated to open next week, official sources said on Wednesday.
The ten Indian K9 (canine) teams will undertake sniffing and patrolling duties at various venues that will hold events for the Paris Olympics. They have been given a special 10-week training for this first-ever kind of collaboration of canine squads between the Indian and the French government, a security officer told PTI.
The teams along with their handlers are drawn from the central armed police forces (CAPFs) like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) force apart from the federal contingency commando force National Security Guard (NSG) and the Assam Rifles.
The dogs are from the ferocious-looking Belgian Malinois breed which undertake infantry patrol and anti-sabotage sniffer tasks to detect bombs, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and trouble makers in various internal security theatres of the country like anti-Naxal operations and counter-terrorist operations, he said.
A second officer said the handlers of these ten canine teams have undertaken refresher physical training apart from a special capsule of basics of the French language for the Olympics task.
The squad includes five-year-old CRPF canine Vast and three-year-old Denby.
They have been chosen for this task after stringent tests conducted at the CRPF dog breeding and training school located on Taralu near Bengaluru, Karnataka, the second officer said.
"The Belgian Malinois breed is considered to be the most preferred combat dog by security forces across the globe," he said.
The Malinois, a litter of an Israeli male Malinois crossed with an American bitch, shot to fame when it was reported that the dogs assisted US special forces in sniffing out Osama Bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad in Pakistan in 2011.
The dog, which has a heavy snout and a big head, can detect suspicious human presence and IEDs with precision and it is intelligent enough to communicate these signals through a nod of its head and not by barking which could lead to alerting of the target.
The Indian dog teams will be deployed as per the requirements of the French Police and security agencies and this deployment is part of the security cooperation between the two countries, the first officer said.
The handlers are donning their regular combat uniform with a special patch of the Indian flag on their chest and another on the shoulder provided to the security agencies deployed for the mega games event, he said.
According to international media reports, France is deploying around 30,000 police officers each day for the Olympics, which will be held between July 26 and August 11, with a peak of 45,000 for the opening ceremony on the Seine river.
About 18,000 members of the military are also helping ensure security, including thousands housed in a huge, special camp erected on the edge of Paris, the reports said.
India will be represented by 117 athletes at the Olympics apart from 140 support staff and officials.
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Over 300 students from govt schools in Punjab qualify JEE Mains 2026: Education minister
Chandigarh (PTI): Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Saturday said 305 students from government schools qualified in their first attempt of the joint entrance examination (JEE) Mains 2026.
This number reflects an increase of 63 per cent from last year's 187 successful candidates, he said describing the achievement as a defining moment for the state's school education system.
Bains shared that five students from his constituency Sri Anandpur Sahib also cracked the prestigious examination.
He announced that the government will organise a special three-week residential training camp to prepare the qualified students for JEE Advance, ensuring they receive focused guidance for the next stage.
"This feat marks a moment of immense pride for our entire school education department. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all our dedicated teachers. The recent JEE Mains Phase 1 results showcased an outstanding performance by the Punjab government schools, with 305 students cracking the competitive engineering exam," Bains said.
This feat represents a remarkable 63 per cent increase from last year's 187 qualifiers, he said.
"Achieving such a significant milestone in just one year is a testament to the transformative power of our Punjab 'Sikhya Kranti' initiative. We are committed to further accelerating our progress," the state education minister said.
He also shared that Bhavishya, a Class 12 non-medical student from the School of Eminence in Amritsar secured an impressive 98.182 percentile.
His father runs a mobile repair shop and his mother works as a tailor.
"Despite financial constraints, his determination to pursue engineering and uplift his family remained unshaken. With strong school support and disciplined preparation, he achieved outstanding success," he said.
He further informed that Dilkhush Jha, a government school student from Bathinda, scored 95.091 percentile in JEE Mains.
With his father being a labourer and mother a homemaker, and an annual family income of Rs 1.2 lakh, he relied on self-study.
Similarly, Priyanka Sharma, a science student from the School of Eminence, Sangrur, secured a 96.44 percentile in JEE Mains while simultaneously preparing for NEET.
Bains said no other state government has matched this scale of achievement in government schools.
He congratulated all 305 students and their parents, and thanked the teachers for making what he described as a historic day for Punjab's government school system.
