First time: SSB to create pen-portraits of 1 lakh jawans

Border guarding force SSB, that guards India's borders with Nepal and Bhutan, has launched a unique project to create "pen-pictures" of its about one lakh jawans detailing their physical, professional and behavioural traits.

The exercise is aimed at understanding strengths, weaknesses, interests, aspirations and personal and professional problems of troops.

The paramilitary force has started a unique Know your Personnel (KYP) programme, on the lines of the much-known Know Your Customer due diligence exercise, across all its formations in the country where the commanding officer will personally talk to each jawan and take down observations in their "own hand writing."
SSB Director General (DG) R K Mishra, while recently issuing a four-page SOP circular, has asked the commanding/supervisory officers to make a sincere effort and write a "pen-picture of 100 words of their troops covering physical, behavioural, professional and individualistic characters besides any significant issues observed by the commander."
The standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been accessed by PTI and it states that the commanders will undertake the exercise to better connect and know "the strengths, weaknesses, interests, aspirations and personal and professional problems of troops under their command."
The KYP, it said, is aimed to bring about "pyschological and physical well being of the personnel to ensure their maximum output on the field."
The SOP said that once the two programmes are "complied with in letter and spirit, it will be helpful in nurturing robust bonding amongst the troops and will also help in eliminating the grievances to a zero level."
When asked about it, the DG said while these mechanisms have been an inherent part of the force, it was noticed that over a period of time the interaction of an officer with his jawan had become a "matter of routine."