Internal security is very much a prerogative of police and efficient policing is needed in order to tackle threats. But for that, the police system needs to be efficient, effective and technologically sound.

“… Serious internal security challenges remain. Threats from terrorism, left wing extremism, religious fundamentalism, and ethnic violence persist in our country. These challenges demand constant vigilance on our part. They need to be tackled firmly but with sensitivity.” [1]

These were the words of former Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, at one of the conferences of Chief Ministers on internal security, six years ago. Several years have passed, a new government has been in power, but internal security of the country is still threatened by multiple threats. With the advancement in technology, newer versions of threats are continuously arising in the form of cyber-attacks, bank frauds, and organised crimes, just to name a few, which need to be tackled in a more specialised manner. Current National Security Advisor Ajit Doval termed this kind of war ‘fourth generation war’, a warfare with an invisible army and warned the police officers “…this war cannot be won by the armies. This is the war of a policeman and if you win, the country wins and if you lose then the country loses.” [2]

In such a scenario, the role of a policeman becomes very important. Against all these security threats, the first line of defence is the police system. Internal security is very much a prerogative of police and efficient policing is needed in order to tackle these threats. But for that, the police system needs to be efficient, effective and technologically sound.

From problems relating to police organisation, infrastructure and environment to obsolete weaponry and intelligence gathering techniques to shortage of manpower to corruption, police force in the country is not in a good shape.

Existing police system suffers from myriad deficiencies. From problems relating to police organisation, infrastructure and environment to obsolete weaponry and intelligence gathering techniques to shortage of manpower to corruption, police force in the country is not in a good shape.

The superintendence and control of the police is a debatable issue. As per the police laws, both the Central and State police forces come under the superintendence and control of political executives. This has resulted in the lack of democratic functioning and appropriate direction. Police priorities are frequently altered based on the will of political executives. [3] It seems that the police force has become a puppet in the hands of its political masters. There is no mechanism for registering a complaint against erring police officials. Both the Second Administrative Reform Commission and the Supreme Court have accepted the need for having an independent complaint authority to inquire into the cases of police misconduct. [4]

The existing police infrastructure is also inadequate to cater to the needs of the police force. There is a huge manpower shortage in the police department. The police-population ratio, currently 192 policemen per lakh population, is less than what is recommended by UN i.e. 222 policemen per lakh population. [5] This results in overburdening of work which is another grave challenge for the police force. Overburdening of work not only reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of the police personnel but also leads to psychological distress which contributes to various crimes committed by the policemen.

There is a huge manpower shortage in the police department. The police-population ratio, currently 192 policemen per lakh population, is less than what is recommended by UN i.e. 222 policemen per lakh population.

Similarly, when it comes to weaponry, the police machinery is still using obsolete and outdated weapons. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report also highlighted that the force continues to depend on outdated and unserviceable weapons. The CAG report attributed this to the slow weapons acquisition process from ordnance factories. [6]

Police mobility is another issue, which has been hampered by the shortage of police vehicles. The CAG reported that there is very little increment in vehicle availability and there is a shortage of drivers too. [7] This compromises the swiftness of action and increases the response time of the police force.

Another problematic area relates to the communication networks. In an era of ICT, the police system is still struggling to get proper communication network. The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) data shows that across all States and UTs, there are 51 police stations which have neither telephones nor wireless sets. [8] The CAG report stated that the Police Telecommunication Network (POLNET), which is used in crime investigation and transmission of crime related data, is non-functional in certain States. [9] The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS) was envisaged to link every single police station in the country. Bihar and Rajasthan are still lagging in project implementation. [10]

The Indian policing system also suffers from its century-old recruitment process. The recruitment process of police personnel, especially from lowest constabulary level to Sub-Inspector level, is medieval. During the training process, the overall focus is on enhancing the physical strength of the trainees but other essential skills like forensics, law, cyber-crime, financial frauds are either ignored or put on the back burner. The CAG reported that the percentage of police personnel trained is very low in most of the States. Out of 71,711 recruitments at constable level, 67,669 constables have been trained in the year 2016. [11] The report also highlighted the deficiencies in weapon training and inadequacy in proper training infrastructure. [12]

The police housing facilities are also an issue. It currently faces a shortage to accommodate the increased police strength across the country. The BPR&D report shows that although there is 8.06% increment in overall sanctioned strength of police force, the family accommodation has only been raised by 6.44% which means a chunk of police personnel do not have proper accommodation. [13]

The total budget allocated to police in all the States/UTs in the year 2016-17 was Rs 113,379. 42 crore but the total police expenditure was Rs 90,662.94 crore. This shows that the budget was underutilised. The BPR&D data and the CAG highlighted the underutilisation of funds allocated under the Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) Scheme. In the year 2015-16, out of a total grant of Rs 9,203 crore that was made available for modernisation, States only utilised Rs 1330 crore (14%). [14]

The total budget allocated to police in all the States/UTs in the year 2016-17 was Rs 113,379. 42 crore but the total police expenditure was Rs 90,662.94 crore.

The panacea to these problems is the police reform process that has been debated for decades with no results. From time to time, several commissions have looked into the reform processes. Till now, six committees, including the National Police Commission, have been set up by the government. These committees made recommendations in favour of major police reforms. These include the Gore Committee on Police Training (1971-73), the Ribeiro Committee on Police Reforms (1998), the Padmanabhaiah Committee on Police Reforms (2000), the Group of Ministers on National Security (2000-01), and the Malimath Committee on Reforms of Criminal Justice System (2001-03).

Despite recommendations from these committees, no substantial changes have been seen. The Supreme Court in 2006 also came up with a landmark judgment in the Prakash Singh Case, where the court made seven-point directives to the Center and State governments. However, till date, these have not seen the light of the day. It reflects the lack of political will and adamancy on the part of bureaucracy to implement the order. Neither the politicians nor the bureaucrats want to lose their control over the police. This problem of lack of clarity in control also lies in The Police Act of 1861, which is silent on ‘superintendence’ and ‘general control and directions.’ [15] This enables the executives to reduce the police to mere tools in the hands of political leaders to fulfil their vested interests.

All these challenges require immediate attention of the governments — both at the Centre and the States. The political leadership needs to understand that the dilapidated condition of the police system will negatively impact upon the security and integrity of the nation. It is time that we freed the police from the clutches of political masters and transform it from ‘Ruler’s Police’ to ‘People’s Police.’ [16]

The writer is a Research Intern at Observer Research Foundation, Delhi.

[1] Press Information Bureau, “PM’s Speech at the Conference of CMs on Internal Security.” (2012).

[2] Press Trust of India, “Internal security going to be a big challenge for India: NSA Ajit Doval,” The Economic Times, 13 July 2018.

[3] Mohan, Garima and Navaz Kotwal , “State Security Commissions: Reforms Derailed,” Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (2011).

[4] Second Administrative Reform Commission,“Public Order,” Report Five, (2007): pp. 113.

[5] Bureau of Police Record & Development, “Data on Police Organisation,” (2017): pp. 37.

[6] Comptroller and Auditor General of India, “Compendium on Performance Audit Reviews on Modernisation of Police Force,” pp. 14.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Bureau of Police Record & Development, “Data on Police Organisation,” (2017): pp. 116.

[9] Comptroller and Auditor General of India, “Compendium on Performance Audit Reviews on Modernisation of Police Force,” pp.15.

[10] Ministry of Home Affairs, “Status of CCTNS,” https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/CCTNS_Briefportal24042018.pdf

[11] Bureau of Police Record & Development, “Data on Police Organisation,” (2017): pp. 123- 124.

[12] Comptroller and Auditor General of India, “Compendium on Performance Audit Reviews on Modernisation of Police Force,” pp. 18.

[13] Bureau of Police Record & Development, “Data on Police Organisation,” (2017): pp. 103.

[14] Bureau of Police Record & Development, “Data on Police Organisation,” (2016).

[15] Mohan, Garima and Navaz Kotwal, “State Security Commissions: Reforms Derailed,” Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (2011).

[16]Singh, Prakash, “Need to transform from ruler’s police to people’s police,” The Indian Express, 27 November 2018.