How to fix India’s broken police forces, CBI and IB

Source: The post is based on an article “How to fix India’s broken police forces, CBI and IB” published in The Indian Express on 26^th September 2022.

Syllabus: GS 2 – Police Reforms

News:  Supreme Court gave Prakash Singh judgment on 22^nd September, 2006. This judgment was a landmark judgment that brought police reforms in the country.

This judgment led 22^nd September known as Police Reforms Day.

However, Justice Thomas Committee recorded that states have shown— “indifference to the issue of police reforms”. The statement depicts the dismal state of police reform implementation.

Why is there a need for the police reforms?

Colonial legacy: The Prime Minister of India has recently called for ending the colonial laws that are still present in India.

The Police Act of 1861 which mostly governs the functioning of police even today is a symbol of colonial rule.

The British followed the Irish model of governance of police. The model enables the executive to have complete authority over the police. It has not been changed even after seven decades of Independence.

Economy: India’s economic development can be faster if the country did not have challenges to its internal security.

According to the Institute for Economics and Peace, violence cost the country 7 per cent of its GDP in 2020.

Therefore, economic development depends on proper law and order and we can have good law and order only if we have professional police.

Political leaders: There are political leaders in the Parliament that have criminal backgrounds.

According to the Association of Democratic Reforms, the percentage of such people was 24 per cent in 2004, 30 per cent in 2009, 34 per cent in 2014 and 43 per cent in the last election held in 2019.

Therefore, it becomes difficult for police to take action against them and people with such backgrounds harms our democratic values.

Internal security: The police force is unable to deal with the internal security challenges in India.

Inter security challenges in J & K, Maoists problem, insurgencies in North East are present from many years. We do not have a proper internal security doctrine to solve these issues.

Lack of trust: There is a lack of trust on the police especially from lower strata of the society.

This can only change if police are made free from political and financial influences.

Organized crimes: There has been an increase in organized crimes such as arms and drugs trafficking across the borders. Cybercrimes are also increasing.

These crimes require a high level of expertise from the police and it can only be possible if police are made free from political influences.

Lack of infrastructure: There is a lack of infrastructure in the police department which is also one of the reasons for their poor performance.

Infrastructures such as human resources, transport, communications and forensics need improvement.

Poor job and housing conditions: The National Police Commission had recommended 100 per cent family accommodation for all non-gazetted police personnel. But the satisfaction level is hardly 31.24 per cent.

According to the Status of Policing in India Report, 2019, an average policeman works for 14 hours a day and does not get any weekly off. These all create mental and health problems to police.

Therefore, police should have 12-hour shifts and gradually aim to achieve eight-hour shifts.

Adopting technology: There is a scope for technological adoption in the functioning of the police. Therefore, adopting future technologies in police will help to fulfil grassroots policing requirements and will help in faster functioning of the police.

Statutory provisions: There are various central organizations that need to have statutory support.

For example,

1963. CBI was created on the basis of a resolution passed on April 1, 1963. It derives power to investigate from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
1964. The Intelligence Bureau was set up through an administrative order in 1887. It also needs a statutory basis.