Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday addressed the inaugural session of the 48th All India Police Science Congress in Bhopal.
Speaking on the occasion, he said that the All India Police Science Congress has a very important contribution to make to policing of the country from two perspectives.
One is coordination between the police across the country to deal with similar challenges and the other is the use of technology to stay two steps ahead of criminals.
Police are considered a state subject in our Constitution and ever since the Constitution came into force till date, many big challenges have been faced by the police because new dimensions have also been added to the world of crime.
Coordination amongst Police across the country
Aspects have come to the fore, due to which police across the country will have to work in harmony with one another, otherwise, it is not possible to face these challenges.
On the other hand, since law and order is a state subject, the police come under the direction of the elected government of the state.
The police face a common challenge from armed groups. There are different states in the Left Wing Extremism zone but the challenge is the same.
Coordination, policy, and unity are needed to face these challenges, and if the state police work in isolation, then we will not be able to face all these challenges properly.
There is no need to change the Constitution, but through meetings such as the All India Police Science Congress and DG’s Conference, some states can come together to discuss problems in their area and create a uniform policy.
He said that police across the country are facing some common challenges like drugs, hawala transactions, and cyber fraud. The Police Science Congress is the ideal forum to discuss and work on a common strategy and synergy.
Such meetings, being held under the aegis of BPR&D, provide a platform got police across the country to address these shortcomings and face common challenges.
The Home Minister urged the BPR&D to design its programs and sessions keeping in mind a strategy for police across the country to meet similar challenges.
Police should be two steps ahead of criminals
Shri Amit Shah said criminals are being equipped with new technology from across the globe and it is very important that police should be two steps ahead of criminals for this the police also have to be modernized, tech-savvy, and use technology to the best level.
Percolation will have to happen. Until then use of technology reaches the constable and head constable, we cannot fight against new types of crimes.
For this also the BPR&D has provided a platform. The Police Congress is also important for both these purposes and without this, we cannot ensure internal security.
The Union Home Minister said the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the last 8 years, has achieved a huge success in finding a permanent solution to three problems – terrorism in Kashmir, Left Wing Extremism and Narcotics and Armed Groups in the North East, which had been a threat to internal security for many years.
By addressing them in this way, great success has been achieved in their solution. A new era of euphoria and development has begun and today the commanding supremacy of our security agencies against terrorism is visible, along with this Left Wing Extremism is also moving towards an end.
This change has come about due to analyzing and understanding the problem, after thoroughly discussing its remedies, work has been done on the basis of a strategy.
He said a 10-year policing strategy and the practice of annual reviews should be institutionalized in police departments.
This is very important because now crimes are taking place which is not possible to fight without modernization of police, training, coordination between police in the states, coordination between police outside the state, and imbibing technology.
Police Technology Mission
He said police across the country should imbibe the phrase “Data is the new science and Big Data is the solution to all problems”.
Shri Shah said Shri Modi has announced a Police Technology Mission for this, the Ministry of Home Affairs has made a blueprint which we will send to state police through the BPR&D for suggestions.
Through this, the police across the country will be equipped with the same type of equipment and technology.
Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India has provided many facilities, but they are not being used much. We should not be content with the present state of data collecting.
The Union Home Minister said police are sometimes accused of no action and sometimes extreme action, but we should inculcate the habit of natural reaction and that can only happen when the individual is dependent on the system and not the system on the individual.
Two Aspects of Police Science
He said police science has two aspects – Science for Police and Science of Police. Only by considering these two will we be able to face the challenges faced by the country.
Shri Shah said today India is emerging as a big global power, we have Democracy, Demographic Dividend, Demand, and Decisiveness, and also strong leadership to change India’s destiny.
He said that now more than 16,000 police stations are online. Nine services have been made available at the state level by CCTNS and it is necessary to popularize them.
The Union Home Minister said police across the country should work to utilize all nine citizen services under CCTNS and take them to every police station.
Interoperable Criminal Justice System
Anti-Terrorist Squads should be activated to study FIRs and data, NCB has been asked to prepare a database on Narcotics cases and Interoperable Criminal Justice System has also created a great amount of data, as well as the National Database of Sex Offenders (NDSO), has also been prepared.
For the Science of Police, we have to advance the use of Medical Science, Forensic Science, Management Science, Arms Science, and Communications Science.
He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Central Government has taken two big steps by establishing the National Forensic Science University and the Raksha Shakti University, and so far affiliated colleges of the National Forensic Science University have been opened in seven states.
I request the Director Generals of Police of all states to ask their respective governments to have affiliated colleges of both universities in their states so that experts in the field of police are available to them.
Shri Shah said the era of policing of the British era is over. Now knowledge-based, evidence-based, and logic-based policing will have to be practiced and in this, we will also have to change the science of police.
Shri Amit Shah said that BPR&D is creating a modus operandi bureau and it can also be well used in the coming days.
Government Initiative of Legal Reforms
He said the Government of India has also taken the initiative of legal reforms.
A new bill for the identification of prisoners has just been passed by Parliament, it is yet to be implemented.
The Model Jail Act has been sent to you, it has to be implemented, and regulations have been enacted for strict compliance with FCRA.
We are also bringing reforms in the CrPC, the IPC, and the Evidence Act. The responsibility of coordination meetings on narcotics has been given to police chiefs of the states.
Efforts should also be made to solve problems by organizing hackathons. He said perfection is very important to achieve success, but success can be achieved only through passion. Our responsibility is to take passion to the bottom of the police force.
Covid-19 Pandemic
The Union Home Minister said that the nation and the world have faced the worst pandemic of the Century.
Millions of people have lost their lives across the world, more than 4 lakh police and CAPF personnel were infected and more than 2,700 personnel also died.
It was during this period that the human face of the police was seen by the people and all forces demonstrated an excellent and commendable example of what the police can do during disasters.
“I would like to pay a humble tribute to the 2,712 jawans who lost their lives while fighting the pandemic while being in the first line of duty”, he said.