Lifting the Police’s Image in India

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2- Governance- Important aspects of governance.

Introduction

The recent Director General of Police (DGP) conference in Raipur, also attended by the Prime Minister, revealed a hard truth: Indian policing is still feared more than respected. Lifting this image needs more than new schemes. It requires better training and working conditions for constables, ethical and professional conduct from senior IPS officers, and a change in mindset from a coercive “force” to a citizen-centred service. Structural reforms, modern technology and community engagement must all move in this direction.

Need to uplift the police’s image in India

1. Trust deficit in a democracy: Police are the most visible face of the state. Yet surveys and court observations repeatedly note public fear, especially among the poor and minorities.
2. Custodial violence and human rights concerns: NCRB-based analysis shows an average of about 92 deaths in police custody every year between 2000-2022.These figures damage the institution’s moral authority.
3. Under-staffing and poor service delivery: The India Justice Report notes that overall police vacancies rose from 20.3% to 22.1% of sanctioned strength between 2020 and 2022. Under-resourced personnel often get blamed, further eroding public image.
4. Weak diversity and gender imbalance

• Despite a 33% aspiration for women’s representation in police, a recent analysis shows women form only about 12.3% of the force nationally and barely 8% of senior officers.
• SC/ST/OBC personnel form a majority (59%) of the police workforce but remain concentrated at constable levels; their share in senior posts (like DSP and above) is very low.
• This makes the police appear socially distant from communities they serve.

5. Politicisation and lack of autonomy: The Supreme Court in Prakash Singh vs Union of India (2006) noted political interference in postings, transfers and investigations, and ordered measures like fixed tenures and independent State Security Commissions. Non-implementation keeps the image of police as a partisan tool instead of a neutral rule-of-law agency.
6. Changing crime profile and public expectations: Today crime is not limited to theft or street crime. Cybercrime, financial fraud, organised crime networks and frequent public protests have become more common. People now expect the police to handle these issues in a professional, fair and non-violent way.
7. International human-rights commitments: India endorses United nation (UN) standards that require police to protect human rights and use force only when strictly necessary and proportionate. When local practices diverge from these norms, India’s global image and domestic confidence in the police both suffer.

Initiatives Taken for Uplifting the Police’s Image in India

1. Supreme Court–mandated structural reforms
   In Prakash Singh (2006), the Court directed States to create State Security Commissions, Police Establishment Boards, Police Complaints Authorities, National Security Commission (NSC) and ensure fixed tenures for DGPs and key field officers. These measures aim to reduce political interference and professionalise the force.
2. Commissions and Model Police Acts

• The National Police Commission, Padmanabhaiah Committee (2000) and ARC-2 (Public Order) recommended community-oriented, accountable policing and separation of law-and-order from investigation functions.
• The Union government has also promoted a Model Police Act, 2006 (drafted by a committee led by Soli Sorabjee) for States to replace the colonial 1861 law.

3. SMART policing and modernisation schemes:

• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has promoted SMART policing (Strict and Sensitive, Modern and Mobile, Alert and Accountable, Reliable and Responsive, Trained and Tech-savvy).
• SMART concepts along with modernisation schemes like Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police (ASUMP).

4. Technology platforms: CCTNS and ICJS

• Under Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), 17,712 police stations have been networked, creating over 35 crore crime and criminal records at the national level.
• Integration with the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) aims to speed up FIRs, chargesheets and coordination, improving public perception of efficiency.

5. Citizen-centric ranking and best-practice compendiums: The Ranking of Police Stations initiative uses performance data and citizens’ feedback (20% weight) to identify people-friendly stations.
6. Gender-sensitive measures and women help desks

• India Justice Report notes that as of January 2022, 72% of police stations had women help desks, with some States achieving 100% coverage.
• Under the Women Safety Division of MHA, the Union government has issued advisories to States/UTs for setting up Women Help Desks in every police station and has provided financial assistance for these desks under the Nirbhaya Fund.

7. Training, surveillance and ethics initiatives: Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) and States have expanded training in human rights, cybercrime and forensics, while CCTV use in police stations and public spaces has grown.

Way Forward

1. Reform the ‘Thana’- The thana system is the most basic unit of police functioning.Through the thana, the police remains in contact with the common man. Thus, improving the working conditions of thana-level constables should be a priority.
2. Enhance Police Budget and upgrade Police Infrastructure- More than 90% of the police budget in the states are used for salary and establishment costs. Allocation for training, procurement and technology deployment should increase. States must fully use the funds for police modernisation.
3. Reform the criminal justice system- Focus must be on the effective implementation of the Malimath Committee recommendations to reform the criminal justice system.
4. Training and Capacity Building of policemen- Training the police forces should be a continuous process along with the evolving nature of the crime space. For ex- The cyber cell of the Delhi Police to deal with cyber criminals.
5. Upgrade technology and research in policing- Reform the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) by making it a more inclusive institution. For ex- Expertise of social science experts for better research on criminology, NCRB’s Automated Facial Recognition System(AFRS) to identify criminals.
6. Improving public perception through community policing– Community policing initiatives like ‘Janamaithri Suraksha Project-Kerala’, ‘Meira Paibi-Assam‘ must be undertaken to improve ground level policing.
7. Learning from international best practices- Japan’s separate police commission for recruitment, New York Polices specialisation of police model, must be used to reform our police and make it a global Police.
8. Increase women representation- 33% women reservation in police should be implemented in all the states. States like Bihar have taken a step in this direction.

All reforms must be enunciated in the direction of development of SMART Police– Sensitive, Mobile, Alert, Reliable and Techno-savvy.

Conclusion

Lifting the police’s image in India needs work at many levels. We must reduce fear, end custodial abuse, and address vacancies, diversity gaps and politicisation. Existing reforms like Supreme Court directions, SMART policing, CCTNS, gender-sensitive measures and community policing provide a base. The real change will come when every thana becomes people-friendly, technology-enabled and accountable, and when citizens begin to see the police as a trusted partner in justice, safety and democratic governance.

For detailed information on Police Reform In India In 2024 read this article here

Question for practice:

Discuss the challenges in improving the image of the Indian police and the reforms undertaken to address them.

Source: Businessline