British era police needs reform; stress due to long duty!
The history of India's police system has gone through many phases. Today's police system began in 1861 during the british era, when the police Act was made. This system was not made to serve the public, but to strengthen the British rule. In this, the police was made strict and controlled from top to bottom, in which the main goal was to maintain law and order. This structure is still in place and the police is more accountable to the government.
After independence (1950-1970), there was not much change in this structure. Due to this, there were shortcomings in the police and people's trust decreased. In 1971, the Gore Committee said that the police should be made professional and public-serving. In 1977-1981, the National police Commission suggested major changes, such as separating law and order and giving a fixed tenure to the officers. But the government and the administration did not show interest in implementing them.
In the 1990s and 2000s, the demand for reform intensified due to rising crime and political interference. The Ribeiro Committee (1998) and the Padmanabhaiah Committee (2000) recommended independent monitoring, modern training and community policing. The Malimath Committee (2002-2003) talked about forensic facilities and a central investigation agency, but most of the suggestions were not implemented.
The supreme Court's 'Prakash Singh decision' in 2006 was a major step. It ordered the states to form a State Security Commission, give a fixed tenure to senior officers and separate investigation from law and order. In recent years (from 2010 till now), due to challenges like cyber crime and terrorism, emphasis was laid on modernizing the police. Smart Policing (2015) used technology and public participation. The police Modernization Scheme tried to improve weapons and forensic facilities. The Model police Act (2006) and NHRC (2021) emphasized autonomy and accountability, but major changes are yet to be made.
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