The 67th All India Police Duty Meet, organized by the Intelligence Bureau, concluded in February 2023 in Lucknow. The 4-day event witnessed participation from over 90 contingents comprising 5,000 personnel drawn from state police units and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). Instituted in the 1950s, these annual Meets assess preparedness levels through demonstrations, seed best practices exchange and build camaraderie.
Participants at the 67th Police Duty Meet
Apart from host Uttar Pradesh police units, diverse CAPFs including border guarding forces attended the Meet:
- Central Armed Police Forces: CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB and Assam Rifles
- State Police Contingents: Punjab, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Sikkim
- Specialized Forces: National Security Guard (NSG), Rapid Action Force (RAF), Coast Guard
The composite participation reflected the crucial integration required between state, center and specialized wings for India’s complex internal security context.
Events Overview Across 4-Days
Myriad events tested capabilities, awarded excellence and built bonds between forces:
Day 1
- Inaugural Marchpast Ceremony
- Operational skill demonstrations by CAPFs
- Flagging off of All India Police Lawn Tennis Tournament
Day 2
- Continued counter-insurgency demos, k-9 squad displays etc.
- Initiation of All India Police Athletics Championship & T-20 Cricket Tourney
Day 3
- Felicitation ceremony for recipients of police medals and DG commendation awards
- Shows by all-woman RAF Vajra and Uttar Pradesh Mahila commandos
- Parakram adventure cup events like parasailing, slithering
Day 4
- Tableaux exhibition depicting evolution of Indian police
- Continued athletics championship finals
- Valedictory session and trophy conferrals
Key Skill Demonstrations to Assess Readiness
Modern security dynamics mandate demonstration events at the Meet to improve readiness:
Anti-Terrorist Operations
- Latest counter-terror techniques displayed by NSG’s 51 SAG rangers including IED diffusion, high altitude insertion ops etc.
- Crowd control and riot drills through tear smoke munition firing, lathi charge formations by RAF.
Specialized Capabilities
- All women contingent exhibits on VVIP security, hostage rescue by Uttar Pradesh Mahila commandos.
- K9 squad dogs showcasing detection of concealed narcotics, explosives and hidden suspects.
- Coast guard exhibits on maritime rescue, oil spill containment etc.
Through peer review of such displays, units identify capability augmentation areas prior to deployment.
Competitive Events for Preparing Forces
The 4-day event involved multiple tournaments assessing specialized competencies:
Operational Skill Demonstration Exhibits
- Counter-terror ops obstacles course by NSG showcasing techniques like high altitude insertion, IED diffusion etc. Evaluated by specialist jury to isolate gaps.
- Mahila Armed Vajra Teams showcasing anti-riot drills for crowd control using tear gas, baton charge protocols. Assessed formation breaches.
Physical Fitness Championship Events
- All India Police Athletics Meet testing skills like cross-country racing, shot put etc. Scored towards Ashewini Trophy.
- Adventure sports like slithering from choppers, paragliding and parasailing in Parakram Cup. Tests endurance.
Team Sports Tournaments
- Maroof Raza T20 Cricket Championship – Instills camaraderie and mental strategy.
- All India Police Lawn Tennis match – Evaluates agility and rapid response capabilities.
Competition grounded forces in core operational muscle areas while enabling review of preparedness levels against specialist benchmarks.
Augmenting Functional Capabilities
Beyond competitive flair, Duty Meets create key channels for upgrading police functioning:
Doctrine Assimilation
– Joint working groups formed with cross-forces representation from CAPFs and state police to advance beat protocols, public engagement principles etc.
Technical Advancement
- Exhibition booths by security tech startups and industrymajors to foster solutions prototyping attuned to ground force needs across forensics, communication, combat gear etc.
Innovation Institutionalization
– CAPFs to jointly operate technology innovation hubs across states for rapid testing and assimilation of tactical R&D solutions emerging from grassroots level participants.
With well-rounded participation and interactions, the 2023 Police Duty Meet strengthened capabilities fabric vital for managing complex internal security environment in a balanced manner.
Key Outcomes for Advancing Police Effectiveness
Beyond assessing preparedness levels, Duty Meets create vital channels for upgrading police functioning:
Modernization Blueprint Assimilation
- Transition ideas and prototypes from technical exhibition booths into standardized capability improvement roadmaps on training, tech adoption etc.
Institutionalizing Lessons for Continuous Improvement
- Constitute mutual mentoring platforms for specialized forces like NSG, Coast Guard to build tactics capabilities within state/district units.
Fostering Grassroots Innovation
- Operationalize technology innovation hubs across states based on technical R&D emerging from junior level police participants at Duty Meet.
With focus expanding beyond competitions to applied learning, the 2023 Police Duty Meet sharpened capabilities while strengthening trust between varied wings vital for India’s internal security.
