Dialogue Over Force: Rajasthan Proposes New SOP For Student Protests

The Rajasthan government is preparing to change the way it handles protests by Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha students. Police will now focus on dialogue rather than immediately resorting to force if school and college students take to the streets over their demands.The Home Department is preparing a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling student protests. Under the proposed framework, experienced officers will reach the spot, speak to the students and understand their grievances. The emphasis will be on finding a solution at the earliest, preferably at the protest site itself.Minister of State for Home Jawahar Singh Bedham said the Rajasthan government is working with sensitivity on issues concerning students. "Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma himself interacts with young people. Our effort is to speak to children not as officers or leaders, but as parents and friends.