Merin Joseph, the youngest IPS officer in the Kerala cadre, believes in the power of the youth

Is there anybody yet who hasn’t heard of Merin Joseph, the dashing young IPS officer who took social media by storm? Photos of her were circulating on Facebook and many declared that they wouldn’t mind being arrested by the “gorgeous officer”. Merin, however, brushes it aside casually. “As a civil servant, we are public figures. At the end of the day, we are in the public domain. I was just upset about the form in which it reached me. They (these posts) said that I had taken charge as the ACP, Kochi, and it was incorrect. I was still a trainee then and I clarified it as soon as possible,” she says.

The Assistant Superintendent of Police under training in Ernakulam Rural District, Chengammanad Station, says all the publicity, however, seems to be working in her favour. “Wherever I go to address people, I see that I have an interested audience. I feel I can get a message across effectively,” she says. The youngest IPS officer in the Kerala cadre (Merin is 25) will complete her training in September, after which she will be given independent sub-divisional charge.

At the lobby of the Government Guest House in Kochi, where she is sitting with her husband Dr. Chris Abraham, Merin doesn’t seem like the archetypal IPS officer; she is petite with rather soft hands. Her FB page reveals her love for the English language, so does a plastic bag full of books she has just bought. “I enjoy reading. It is one of the only hobbies that I can easily pursue,” she says.

Dressed in uniform, her hair tied back, Merin says she always wanted a dynamic job. IAS was a dream and IPS was second preference. Clearing the exam in the first chance in 2012 was not a big deal as she had streamlined her preparations. “It was a childhood dream and I had a focussed approach.” Merin completed her BA and MA in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, where her parents have been settled for over 35 years. Her father, who is from Ranni, is the Principal Advisor in the Ministry of Agriculture and her mother, from Kottayam, is an Economics teacher.

Coming back to the home cadre is a rare fortune few officers have, she says. “Compared to certain other places, Kerala is a relatively comfortable place to work in,” she says.

The third woman Malayali IPS officer in the Kerala cadre, after R. Sreelekha and B. Sandhya, Merin says IPS training does harden one’s soul. “You realise you are made of tougher material.” A typical day starts at about 4.45 a.m. and it involves running 4 to 5 km. Horse riding, weapons training, swimming, diving, 40-km route marches, jungle attachments, which means living in the jungle with bare minimum supplies and such are part of the deal. Initially, especially for those who are not athletically inclined, the rigours could be taxing. “Your body will resist and minor injuries are a given. But it lets you get over your fears.”

The profession is still very male-dominated, she says. “I am surrounded 99 per cent of the time by men. I have found that I may have to be slightly more assertive. That said, I have to admit my subordinates have accepted me well.” But the real challenge is in the domain of hardcore policing. “Being a good police officer, to be on call 24 hours, being there for people, is what I want to achieve.” Though she has not lived in Kerala, Merin has a working knowledge of Malayalam. She admits she isn’t proficient enough to give an entire speech in Malayalam yet.

Merin, who was selected from the Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy to lead the Indian delegation for the Y20 summit, an official youth engagement programme of the G20 countries, believes in the power of the youth. “We are tech savvy, we grew up in the age of the internet. And we need more young people in the services as the youth can bring in a breath of fresh air to the way Government departments function. We can change the system.”

The Ernakulam Rural SP Yathish Chandra, to whom Merin reports, had created a buzz on social media himself with his “Singham” style. “I guess it is because the level of exposure is much more for the younger officers. They are active on social media and perhaps, the youth feel they connect to them better. It is a good thing as we should be able to inspire the confidence of the public. I believe there is nothing wrong in looking good and being an icon as long as you are doing your job.”

Merin feels more women should come into the police. “The services have a lot to benefit from women coming in. Even as the job is seen as physically demanding and brutal, it is rewarding. I make sure I encourage young girls to consider joining the profession,” she says.