Revamping India’s Police System

• 18 Mar 2025

This editorial is based on “Law and disorder: States must spend more on adequate police forces” which was published in The Business Standard 18/03/2025. The article brings into picture the alarming 21% vacancy rate in India’s police forces, resulting in severe understaffing that weakens law and order, endangers public safety, and hampers economic growth.

For Prelims:  Police Act of 1861, Malimath Committee , National Police Commission , Smart Policing, Community Policing, Model Police Act, Ribeiro Committee, Padmanabhaiah Committee 

For Mains: Policing and Police Reforms in India, Key Issues Associated with Policing in India 

India's security-governance architecture faces critical challenges with over 21% vacancies in state police forces, making it severely under-policed. This shortfall is most pronounced in states notorious for poor law and order, with West Bengal, Mizoram, and Haryana reporting the highest vacancy rates. The inadequate policing not only endangers public safety, particularly for vulnerable populations, but also impedes economic growth by creating unfavorable conditions for small and medium enterprises that constitute the backbone of India's economy.  

How has the Evolution of Policing and Police Reforms in India Taken Shape over Time?

• Colonial Foundations and the Police Act of 1861: The modern Indian police system was established under the Police Act of 1861, designed by the British to maintain colonial control rather than serve the public.  
  • It created a centralized and hierarchical force that prioritized law and order over community service.  
  • This framework remains dominant today, making police forces more accountable to the government than to citizens. 
• Post-Independence Reforms (1950s–1970s):  
  • After independence, India retained the colonial policing structure, leading to inefficiencies, corruption, and public distrust.  
  • The Gore Committee (1971) recommended a shift towards professional, service-oriented policing.  
  • The National Police Commission (1977–1981) proposed key reforms like separating law and order from investigation and ensuring fixed tenures for officers.  
    • However, these recommendations faced political and bureaucratic resistance, limiting their implementation. 
• 1990s–2000s- Supreme Court Interventions & Major Committees:  
  • With rising crime, communal violence, and political interference, calls for police reforms intensified.  
  • The Ribeiro Committee (1998) and the Padmanabhaiah Committee (2000) reinforced earlier recommendations, advocating for independent oversight bodies, modern training, and community policing.  
  • The Malimath Committee (2002–2003) pushed for specialized forensic capabilities and a Central Law Enforcement Agency for federal crimes, but most reforms remained unimplemented. 
  • The Supreme Court’s Prakash Singh judgment (2006) directed states to implement crucial reforms, including the establishment of State Security Commissions, fixed tenures for senior officers, and the separation of investigation from law and order.  
• Recent Developments and Need for Modernization (2010s–Present) 
  • As policing challenges evolve with cybercrime, terrorism, and organized crime, modernization efforts have gained momentum.  
  • Initiatives like Smart Policing (2015) leverage AI, data analytics, and community engagement.  
  • The Modernization of Police Forces (MPF) Scheme aims to improve weaponry, forensic labs, and cybercrime units.  
    • The Model Police Act (2006) and NHRC recommendations (2021) emphasize autonomy, accountability, and surveillance measures. 
    • However, the absence of deep structural reforms continues to hinder policing efficiency. 

What are the Key Issues Associated with Policing in India? 

• Acute Shortage of Personnel: India faces a severe shortage of police personnel, leading to excessive workloads and poor law enforcement.  
  • The UN recommends 222 police officers per 100,000 people, but India has only 154.84 per 100,000, far below global standards.  
  • High vacancies further exacerbate this issue—West Bengal (39.42%), Mizoram (35.06%), and Haryana (32%) have some of the worst vacancy rates.  
  • This affects not just crime prevention but also response time, investigation quality, and public trust. 
• Overburdened and Underpaid Police Force: The shortage of personnel forces existing officers to work 16–18 hours a day, leading to stress, inefficiency, and compromised policing.  
  • Many officers juggle multiple roles—from law enforcement to election duties—without adequate rest or fair compensation.  
  • Low pay discourages professionalism and increases susceptibility to corruption, affecting public trust. 
    • Also a recent survey showcased that the majority of the police personnel had high and very high levels of stress (83.8%), affecting performance and mental health. 
• Politicization and External Influence: Political interference in police operations has eroded professionalism and independence.  
  • Frequent transfers, pressure to act against political opponents, and misuse of investigative agencies have weakened law enforcement credibility.  
  • The arbitrary use of sedition laws and targeted arrests of activists and journalists highlight how policing is often dictated by political interests rather than the rule of law. 
  • For instance, a 2019 report in Delhi stated that 72% of police officers have experienced political pressure while investigating cases . 
• Militarization of the Police and Excessive Use of Force: The police often resort to excessive force, especially in handling protests and civil unrest.  
  • The use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and baton charges on protesters has drawn criticism, particularly during farmers’ protests and CAA-NRC demonstrations.  
    • This undermines public confidence and raises concerns over human rights violations. 
  • The 2023 wrestlers’ protest saw forceful removal of peaceful demonstrators, drawing national and international condemnation. 
    • A total of 669 cases of death in police custody were registered across the country in the last five years from April, 2017, to March, 2022, highlighting a significant issue.  
• Inadequate Training and Outdated Policing Methods: Many police personnel lack proper training in modern crime-solving techniques, forensic science, and cybercrime investigation.  
  • This results in poor investigations, wrongful arrests, and case backlogs. There is also insufficient training on handling gender-sensitive cases, affecting justice for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and trafficking. 
  • According to the CAG, most states have a very low percentage of trained police officers.  
    • The audit also noted flaws in weapon training as well as a lack of adequate training infrastructure. 
    • Also, even with so many opportunities in the field of criminalistics in India, there are only 0.33 forensic scientists per 0.1 million population whereas the foreign countries have 20 to 50 scientists per 0.1 million population, coupled with inadequate training of police officials, make the issue even more severe.  
• Weak Community Policing and Public Trust Deficit: There is a lack of proactive community engagement, making the police force seem distant, intimidating, and unapproachable.  
  • Many marginalized communities—Dalits, Adivasis, and minorities—often fear rather than trust the police due to past experiences of discrimination and brutality. 
  • Without stronger community ties, intelligence gathering and crime prevention remain weak. 
  • Despite rising urbanization, community policing initiatives like "Janamaithri" in Kerala or "Mohalla Committees" in Maharashtra remain exceptions rather than norms. 
• Slow Modernization and Outdated Equipment: Many police stations lack basic forensic tools, surveillance technology, and cybercrime tracking mechanisms, making it hard to tackle modern crimes.  
  • Even in large cities, outdated weapons and inadequate protective gear make police vulnerable in critical situations, including terror threats. 
  • Many police stations still rely on manual paperwork instead of digital case management systems. 
  • A recent report found that there was just one computer/laptop for 11 state police personnel in the country, with some large states having just one system for 30 or more personnel in 2022. 
• Underrepresentation of Women in Police Forces: Despite rising crimes against women, gender representation in policing remains dismal.  
  • There are just 11.75% women in the police forces in the country despite the central government's repeated efforts to enhance the strength of the women 
  • This lack of representation discourages women from reporting crimes and leads to inadequate handling of gender-based violence cases. 

What Measures can be Adopted to Enhance Policing in India?  

• Addressing Manpower Shortage and Workload Reduction: The acute shortage of police personnel must be tackled through fast-track recruitment, better working conditions, and increased budgetary allocations.  
  • Implementing a two-year minimum tenure for police officers, as directed in the Prakash Singh case, can reduce political interference and improve efficiency.  
• Depoliticization and Ensuring Police Autonomy: Implementing the State Security Commission (SSC), as recommended by the National Police Commission (NPC), can insulate police forces from undue political interference.  
  • The Police Establishment Board (PEB), as suggested by the Ribeiro Committee, should be empowered to handle transfers and promotions independently.  
  • Amending the Police Act, 1861, in line with the Model Police Act (2006), can legally establish these reforms. 
• Modernizing Police Infrastructure and Equipment: Police forces must transition from outdated weaponry and paper-based systems to tech-driven policing, including AI-based predictive policing, big data analytics, and drone surveillance.  
  • The Modernization of Police Forces (MPF) scheme should be expanded with targeted spending on CCTV surveillance, forensic labs, body cameras, and GPS-enabled patrol vehicles.  
  • Upgrading cybercrime cells, in line with the Padmanabhaiah Committee’s recommendation, is crucial to tackle increasing online frauds and digital crimes. 
  • Implementing the NHRC’s 2021 directive to install CCTV cameras with night vision in all police stations will enhance accountability and reduce custodial torture.  
• Specialization and Separation of Investigation from Law & Order: In line with the Malimath Committee’s recommendations, police stations should have separate wings for investigation and law-and-order management to improve efficiency.  
  • The creation of a specialized crime investigation cadre can help officers focus on complex cases like financial frauds, organized crime, and cybercrimes. 
  • Training modules should be updated to incorporate forensic science, legal procedures, and digital investigation techniques.  
  • Reviving the beat policing system, as suggested by the Padmanabhaiah Committee, can improve grassroots intelligence gathering and crime prevention. 
• Community Policing and Public Trust Building: Bridging the trust deficit between police and citizens requires community policing models, as suggested by the Model Police Act (2006) and NHRC recommendations (2021).  
  • Initiatives like Kerala’s Janamaithri Suraksha Project and Maharashtra’s Mohalla Committees should be expanded nationwide.  
  • Recruiting social workers and psychologists in police stations can aid in handling sensitive cases, such as domestic violence and juvenile crimes. 
  • Regular public-police dialogues and outreach programs can improve relations and enhance trust among marginalized communities. 
• Gender Sensitization and Increasing Women in Policing: Enhancing women’s representation in police forces to the 33% target, as recommended by the Padmanabhaiah Committee, is critical for ensuring gender-sensitive policing. 
  • Establishing all-women police stations in every district and mandating the presence of female officers in every police station will improve crime reporting by women. 
  • Mandatory gender sensitization training, as suggested by the NHRC, should be part of police education. Providing childcare facilities, flexible working hours, and separate restroom facilities can improve retention rates among female officers.  
• Judicial-Police Coordination and Reducing Undertrials: Poor coordination between police and judiciary leads to case backlogs, delays, and wrongful detentions.  
  • In line with the Malimath Committee’s recommendations, digitization of FIRs, e-court integration, and fast-tracking undertrial cases should be prioritized. 
  • Establishing police-judiciary liaison officers in every district can facilitate better case tracking and evidence management.  
  • Expanding plea bargaining mechanisms can help reduce undertrial populations and ensure faster justice delivery.  
• Reforming Police Training and Capacity Building: A national-level Police Training Advisory Council (PTAC), as suggested by the Padmanabhaiah Committee, should oversee training curricula to ensure modern crime-fighting techniques, forensic science, human rights laws, and technology-driven policing.  
  • Police academies should incorporate soft skills training to improve public interaction and sensitivity towards marginalized communities.  
  • Incentivizing higher education and specialization in policing, through scholarships for advanced criminology and forensic courses, can improve professional standards.  
  • Cross-agency training with CBI, NIA, and IB can help state police improve their counterterrorism and intelligence-gathering capabilities. 

Conclusion

Addressing India’s policing crisis requires urgent structural reforms, improved recruitment, and depoliticization to ensure efficiency and public trust. Strengthening technological capabilities, modernizing training, and implementing community policing can bridge gaps in law enforcement. Gender inclusivity, accountability mechanisms, and autonomy are critical for a people-centric policing model.  

Drishti Mains Question:

“Police reforms in India have been a long-pending necessity, yet implementation has remained slow due to political, bureaucratic, and structural challenges”. Suggest measures to ensure a more accountable and efficient police system.