India, June 9 -- In a unique community outreach effort, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has chosen to tackle stone-pelting incidents on trains by engaging children living in settlements along the railway tracks through education, games and mentorship. Under the 'Disha' initiative, launched under the guidance of Priyanka Sharma, senior divisional security commissioner, RPF, Pune division, officials have been working closely with children residing near the railway corridor between Ghorpadi, Hadapsar and other vulnerable locations to create awareness about railway safety and encourage positive social behaviour.

The initiative was conceived after RPF's analysis of stone-pelting, trespassing and signal-tampering incidents revealed that man...