India’s law enforcement must not hide behind shield of police reforms

(File photo for representation.)

In his insightful analysis of police reforms, Chakravarthi Vijayaraghava Narasimhan, who was a distinguished ICS officer and former undersecretary of the United Nations, once observed a troubling pattern in his article “Police Reforms: Retrospect and Prospect.” He said the police force that had served the British Raj continued to display unwavering loyalty to ruling political parties after independence and failed to transform into impartial enforcers of law.

This political interference, he said, gradually eroded public trust, which led to diminished cooperation from citizens. As public criticism intensified, the police adopted an increasingly aggressive stance, creating a vicious cycle of antagonism between law enforcement and the public.

These observations, though made years ago, remain remarkably relevant to today’s Indian police structure and leadership. Many incidents in the recent past have thrust police conduct back into the spotlight, underscoring the pressing need for empathetic, professional leadership. Two such incidents which shook national conscience and led to public outrage merit attention and mention.

In September this year, at a Bharatpur Police station in Odisha, the dignity of a serving Army officer and his fiancée was compromised when they sought to file a complaint about harassment by miscreants at 1am. Similarly, the detention of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and his peaceful marchers at the Delhi border in October this year, despite their non-violent intentions to visit Bapu Samadhi at Raj Ghat, raised serious questions about police conduct.

Former IPS officer Yashovardhan Jha Azad publicly challenged these actions, particularly questioning the Delhi Police commissioner’s prohibitory orders. He pointed out that a London Metropolitan Police chief would likely have permitted such a peaceful march, highlighting the diminishing autonomy of police forces across Indian states.

While retired police officers and bureaucrats often cite the lack of reforms as justification for police misconduct, high handedness and leadership bias, this excuse rings hollow. The political executive’s reluctance to relinquish control over the police force is well-known, yet this should not prevent police leadership from fostering professionalism within existing constraints.

The need for police reforms has been acknowledged since 1979 when the National Police Commission was established. However, the government’s failure to implement its recommendations led to the landmark Prakash Singh case in 1996. Despite the Supreme Court’s 2006 verdict mandating seven binding directives for reform, compliance remains minimal. In India’s highly politicized governance structure, comprehensive police reforms may remain elusive, as political parties are unlikely to surrender their control over law enforcement.

In earlier times, state police establishments operated as efficient, task-oriented units under inspector generals who prioritized professionalism and community-friendly policing. Despite facing similar political pressures, police leadership at both operational and senior levels maintained their integrity through bold, professional conduct. These leaders were willing to accept frequent transfers and challenging assignments, setting high standards for their subordinates while protecting them from unintended mistakes.

Today’s police structure has become unnecessarily bloated, with states maintaining numerous director generals, additional director generals, and other senior positions. This top-heavy structure has succumbed to politicization, with professionalism taking a back seat. Lower ranks often bypass the chain of command through direct political connections, while leadership struggles to maintain effective control, particularly at the police station level. Even the central armed police forces (CAPFs) are increasingly facing similar challenges.

To address these issues, several measures warrant consideration. Some of the most important ones are:

1. Streamline the bloated police hierarchy through professional assessment

The present police structure is unnecessarily inflated, with states maintaining an excessive number of director generals, additional director generals, inspector generals, deputy inspector generals, and superintendents of police. This bloated structure has become vulnerable to politicization, with professionalism taking a back seat. An urgent professional assessment of the higher police hierarchy is needed to make it lean and efficient. This streamlining would help restore effective control over subordinates, particularly at the police station level.

2. Separate IPS recruitment from civil services examinations

The selection process for the Indian Police Service should be detached from the civil services examination. A separate examination should be conducted specifically for IPS recruitment, focusing on qualities and competencies needed for police leadership. This specialized selection process would ensure candidates are better suited for the unique challenges of police service.

3. Introduce mandatory psychological testing and special medical boards

Make psychological tests and special medical board evaluations mandatory as part of selection process for induction into both the IPS and state police services. This requirement would ensure that only those with the mental strength to withstand pressures in professional life join the force. These assessments would help identify candidates with the right temperament and resilience for police work.

4. Enhance Professionalism through hard training and mandatory attachments with sister organizations

After completing part of basic training at the National Police Academy, officers should:

* Undergo at least 50% of their basic training in CAPF academies to develop character, courage, and boldness.
* After passing out successfully, make at least at least 3–6-month attachment with the Indian Army in active field areas with infantry units.
* Serve one-year attachment with CAPFs units performing the duties as platoon commander and company commander. These attachments would help imbibe physical, mental, and moral courage while building synergy with sister organizations, ultimately strengthening national security.

5. Implement compulsory police station postings

Make police station posting mandatory for IPS and state service police officers during their first three years of service. Their next posting should only be given after successful completion of this police station tenure. Additionally, in-service police training should be made mandatory for all ranks. This practical exposure would ensure officers understand ground realities and develop essential operational experience.

6. Establish independent police recruitment boards

Recruitment for police constables and direct entry posts like sub-inspectors should be carried out through police recruitment boards solely comprising police officers, completely detached from political interference. These boards should follow the pattern of army or CAPF recruitment boards. This would ensure:

* Sanctity of the recruitment process.
* Selection based purely on merit.
* Elimination of political interference in recruitment.
* Standardization of selection procedures.
* Maintenance of high professional standards from the entry level.

The successful implementation of these measures would require commitment from both the government and police leadership. These changes, while significant, are achievable within the existing framework and don't necessarily require wholesale police reforms. They focus on improving the quality of leadership, training, and recruitment – areas where meaningful change is possible even without legislative reforms.

Distinguished officers like Julio Ribeiro and Chaman Lal demonstrated that professional policing is possible even without comprehensive reforms. Their examples show that bold leadership and diplomatic conduct can maintain discipline and professionalism despite political pressures.

The time has come for current police leadership to introspect, shed their inhibitions and lead by example through professional conduct. Rather than using the absence of reforms as a shield, they must adopt a command leadership model to guide the force toward genuine community-oriented policing. As the saying goes, it's never too late for positive change – particularly for a government that has shown willingness to make difficult decisions in other areas of governance.

^Disclaimer:^{The views expressed in the article are the author’s own and don’t necessarily reflect the views of India Sentinels.}

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