• The self-defence training under the Orissa State Youth Policy, 2013 would teach the girls the basic steps of self-defence. Director of Sports and Youth Services D V Swamy said before the trainers go to the schools and colleges, they would undergo training at the Kalinga Stadium here from July 14. At the end of training, each trainer would get a certificate.
• Women do not ask for, cause, invite, or deserve to be assaulted. Women and men sometimes exercise poor judgement about safety behaviour, but that does not make them responsible for the attack. Attackers are responsible for their attacks and their use of violence to overpower, control, and abuse another human being.
• Whatever a woman’s decision in a given self-defence situation, whatever action she does or does not take, she is not at fault. A woman’s decision to survive the best way she can must be respected. Self-defence classes should not be used as judgement against a victim/survivor.
• Good self-defence programmes do not “tell” an individual what she “should” or “should not” do. A program should offer options, techniques, and a way of analyzing situations. A program may point out what USUALLY works best in MOST situations, but each situation is unique and the final decision rests with the person actually confronted by the situation.
• Self-defence is a set of awareness, assertiveness, verbal confrontation skills, safety strategies, and physical techniques that enable someone to successfully escape, resist, and survive violent attacks. A good self-defence course provides psychological awareness and verbal skills, not just physical training.
• To put the ambitious self-defence training programme of the State Government for college girls back on track, the Higher Education Department has decided to hold camps for master trainers beginning this month.
• The department has also decided to open a self-defence training cell for monitoring and coordinating the programme at the State-level.
• The State Government had implemented the scheme in 2013 under Odisha State Youth Policy. Training for girl students of Plus II and Plus III colleges was essential in view of the rise in crimes against women. But the programme was left mid-way in many districts as there were not enough master trainers.
• During inception of the programme, around 300 trainers were officially short-listed to impart self-defence skills including martial arts to college girls. While 200 trainers were selected from colleges, police provided 100 trainers for the purpose.
• Sources said the programme had to be abandoned as the master trainers provided by police did not attend the training camps at regular intervals. A total of 2.5 lakh girls were to be covered in 2013 and the number increased to 5, 37,418 girls last year.
• Sources in the department said for the total number of girls who would be trained in self-defence, 600 additional master trainers are required. The number would further rise in the new academic year.
• Officer in-charge of self-defence training programme UN Sahoo said a pool of 600 master trainers would be created this year and their training will begin from Thursday at Utkal Karate School in Bhubaneswar. The training camp will be held in phases for seven days every month till the target is achieved.
• The department has also asked principals of the nodal colleges to prepare a list of available master trainers in their areas.
• With the Delhi gang rape case in mind, the  state  government will give self-defence training to around three lakh girls in schools and colleges from August 1.The course curriculum for the trainers has been designed by city-based Utkal Karate School, a martial arts training school.

1. Profile of Self Defence Training Programme for Girls
2. SDT Programme Report 2016-17
3. SDT Programme Report 2017-18