Profile

The Person

As the very name ‘Vijayan’ (‘Winner’ in Malayalam) suggests, he is a man who believes in victory over oneself. His inspiring life itself is a testimonial to his philosophy that ‘’Every child has the potential to become a Da Vinci or Isaac Newton at birth, but it’s the exploration of the inner potential in his journey of life that sets him apart’’

P Vijayan IPS, is currently serving as the Inspector General of Police, Coastal Security and Director Social Policing. He is a recipient of the prestigious Indian Police Medal for meritorious service and fellowships from International Universities for his outstanding contribution to Policing and numerous social initiatives. As a man who has touched millions of lives and transformed them through his various initiatives, he has become one of the extraordinary changemakers of our times. A changemaker who relies on the inner human potential to solve problems and create a better tomorrow for everyone

Childhood

P. Vijayan was born in 1968 as the third child of seven siblings in an idyllic and remote village of Kozhikode, Kerala, a place that has left its indelible imprint in the annals of the nation's history. He had a very challenging childhood which made him seek his inner potential to meet and master any situation. He got into construction work as a labourer at a very young age, putting his studies at stake.

Education

He failed the SSLC Examination on his first attempt. But that was not going to stop a dreamer and doer from achieving his life's goals. To support his family and continue his studies, he had to work at a soap factory and take tuition classes. Many a time, he had to learn in the meagre light of a kerosene lamp, but he was determined that one day he would bring light to the whole world. His self-explorative journey helped him create inimitable academic credentials in his later years. He completed his MA in Economics and got qualified for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). His career reached its high point when he joined IPS in the year 1999. An exemplar of his philosophy of 'latent capabilities exploration', Vijayan IPS presents a sterling model for our youth to emulate.

Family

As the first IPS officer to serve as Commissioner of all 4 Commissionerates of Kerala, he has led the investigation teams in many sensational cases, including the Kalamassery Bus Burning, Shabarimala Thantri, Chelembra Brank Robbery, and also e-mail threat against the Prime Minister. He addressed crime through effective, unbiased investigation & his administrative capability was well received by the highest echelons of Govt. wherein he innovated policing strategies & revamped police training.

Career

Early in his career, he understood that conventional policing methods alone cannot reduce crime & create a law-abiding society. He brought in systemic changes within Police, & initiated Student Police Cadet (SPC) to redefine community policing. SPC today covers more than 800 schools, with 2.5 lakh high-school children moulded to become young change leaders. Shri Rajnath Singh, then Union Home Minister, in 2018, directed all states to follow Kerala SPC Model.

He believes that the responsibility of creating an excellent citizen rests on the entire community and not only the child's parents. Our Responsibility to Children (ORC) was an initiative to correct deviant behavior through psycho-social interventions and reintegrate them into the mainstream. This was successfully implemented across 340 schools, transforming over 12,000 little lives. Project Candle Light (PCL) was yet another initiative to bring youth with criminal tendencies in a slum of Kochi back into the social stream. Project HOPE was rolled out to help early drop-outs from schools through education and imparting livelihood skills. One of the most popular projects was the Children & Police (CAP) initiative to prevent abuse and violence against children. Later, Chiri (Smile) was launched to provide a dedicated helpline for children to seek police support.

The birth of the Nanma (Goodness) Foundation, an NGO founded by civil society members under his inspiration, has given innovative solutions to societal problems. The foundation helped rebuild 125 houses devastated by the great floods of 2018. Another timely intervention was during the pandemic days when police and the foundation set up community kitchens to serve over 1 million meals to street dwellers, patients, and Covid warriors. The foundation also distributed 80,000 food material kits to the needy. To provide telephonic/virtual medical consultation, the Doctor’s Help Desk was formed during the lockdown period. To spread positivity during this period, an inspiring talk series titled Pos-Poss (Positivity & Possibility) was launched, which impacted the lives of over 10 million people. The other two initiatives were Padavukal(steps) interactive series featuring young achievers and Chiriyo Chiri online comedy series.

As the Special Officer for Sabarimala, he was shaken by the environmental pollution due to the pilgrimage. To conscientize people on this aspect, the PunyamPoonkavanam (The Holy Garden) was launched interlinking spirituality and ecological responsibility. It drew tremendous appreciation from Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi in his ‘Man Ki Baat’ on 31 December 2018. It’s being replicated in other pilgrimage locations of the country.

He was chosen for the CNN IBN Indian of the Year Award. A man who demonstrates with his life that the only stumbling block between you and your dreams is ‘YOU’. Through his unique philosophy and actions, he has carved a niche for himself in the hearts of every Indian.