A nationwide survey conducted by the Indian Police Foundation (IPF) has found that the police in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh scored the lowest among all states in terms of sensitivity perception. This comes after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) requested both the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and State Governments to establish Police Complaints Authorities in line with the 2006 verdict in Prakash Singh vs. Union of India.
SMART Policing Initiative: A Transformation Strategy for Indian Police
The notion of SMART Policing was first proposed by the Indian Prime Minister during the Conference of DGPs of State and Central Police Organizations in Guwahati in 2014. The approach seeks to reform the Indian Police into an organization that is strict and sensitive, modern and mobile, alert and accountable, reliable, responsive, techno-savvy and trained. The strategy combines infrastructure development, technology adoption, a focus on critical soft skills and attitudes as well as a dedication to professional excellence and public service.
The SMART Policing Index: A Measure of Citizen Satisfaction
The goal of the IPF survey was to collect data on citizen perceptions about the impact of the SMART policing initiative. The survey used ten groupings of questionnaires, examining competence-based indicators and value-based indicators as well as trust. Scores ranged from one to ten, with ten indicating the highest level of satisfaction.
Findings of the SMART Policing Index 2021
Despite criticism for insufficient sensitivity, declining public confidence and concerns about the quality of policing, a majority of citizens (66.93%) still believe that the police are performing well. Indian southern and northeastern states scored higher on most policing indices than northern states. The top five states for overall policing were Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Kerala, and Sikkim, while Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Punjab ranked lowest.
Annual Ranking of Police Stations by the Ministry of Home Affairs
Every year, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) ranks police stations across the country based on factors like crime rate, case investigation and disposal, infrastructure, and public service delivery. About 20% of points come from citizen feedback. For 2021, the Sadar Bazar police station in Delhi was the country’s best police station, with Gangapur in Odisha and Bhattu Kalan in Haryana coming second and third.
Police Reforms: An Aim to Transform Values, Culture and Practices
Police reforms aim to transform the values, culture, policies, and practices of police organizations, ensuring they respect democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law. Improving police relations with other parts of the security sector, such as courts, correction departments, and management or oversight authorities is another goal of these reforms. The police is a part of the state list of schedule 7 in the Indian constitution.