The capital’s police force is eager to start the Learn English programme at the earliest. And simultaneously, it is doing what it can to see if the attitude and conduct of its personnel - not known for their speaking manners and etiquette - shows dramatic improvement.

"We want to start training them as soon as possible. The earlier we start, the more beneficial it would be," S B Deol, a special commissioner who heads the training wing in the Delhi police, said.

"Since the inflow of tourists before the games would increase substantially, we think it would be good if our personnel have better language skills," he said.

Deol said sub-inspectors would also be encouraged to learn at least one foreign language. "We would ask them to learn a foreign language so that they are able to converse with people of different countries who would be visiting Delhi," he said.

The Delhi police department is nearly 60,000-strong, and most of its men, constables included, are graduates. But few in the lower ranks are comfortable speaking or writing in English, preferring to communicate in Hindi instead.

Even those who know English do not find themselves at home while speaking the language. Most senior officers are, however, at home in English.

And having learnt their lessons from the 1982 Asian Games, the Delhi police think it is time to remedy the situation.

There is a special wing that caters to tourists. Its men are better off when it comes to English. And so are members of Delhi police’s VIP Security Wing.

The capital’s police force is contacting private companies to help it on the language front.

"Our men and women will go through a training course in different batches over the next three years. We want private trainers and institutions to carry out the programmes for us," Deol said.

"Since most of our constables are graduates, this training would help them.

People who join the force as sub-inspectors are already well educated - we only want to improve their English."

Delhi police, which caters to a city of over 15mn people, has sent a proposal to the home ministry to recruit more English-speaking personnel.

The ethnic composition of Delhi police has undergone sweeping changes in the past two decades. Once dominated by men from Haryana, the force today draws men also from Tamil Nadu and Kerala who are more at home in English.

"Well educated and courteous personnel would not only help during the Commonwealth Game but also improve the impression of the police," said Deol, one of the most senior Indian Police Service officers in the country. – IANS