The Thane police in Maharashtra have decided to adopt schools to educate students about various safety measures in a bid to prevent sexual abuse and other crimes against children.

Under the 'didi-kaka' scheme, children will be made aware about the difference between a 'good touch' and a 'bad touch', a senior police official said.

The scheme was launched on September 18 by District Superintendent of Police Shivaji Rathod at a function.

Security personnel, who are referred as police didi' and 'police kaka', will visit schools once a week and interact with students to know about their problems, Rathod said.

"This is necessary because of the increasing crimes against females," he said.

Children will be provided details of their police station area concerned, and the phone numbers on which they can contact the police in case of an emergency, he said.

They also plan to organise debates, essay-writing activities and symposia in schools to educate the children about how to stay safe and other issues, Rathod said.

"Girls seldom discuss their problems with parents.

Therefore, the scheme will help the police in understanding their problems and resolving them," he added.