Home Amit Shah has proposed to start an undergraduate degree program in policing, to groom future police forces properly. He has proposed setting up National Police University and Forensic Science University in the country, and their affiliated colleges in every state.
While addressing the 49th Foundation Day of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) as Chief Guest in New Delhi on August 28, the home minister revealed that a proposal for same will be soon tabled with the cabinet. He said that to bring changes to the internal security mechanism in the country, National Police University and Forensic Science University will set up at a national level. These universities will have affiliated colleges in all the states, which will offer undergraduate degree program in policing. Students who want to pursue a career in the police or any of the central armed forces will be able to join the bachelor degree courses in these colleges after the 12th class.
The Home Minister said that if a student decides to join security forces as a career, joining an art, commerce or science course does not benefit them much. Now such youths will be able to join the police courses at the undergraduate level.
Amit Shah informed that BPRD has prepared a proposal for police colleges, which will be presented before the cabinet soon and a decision on this will be taken by the government. He also said that BPRD also needs to work towards Forensic Science University and Forensic Science colleges at a fast pace. Amit Shah said that the current conviction rate for crimes in the country is very low, which is unsustainable. He said that to increase the conviction rate, the investigations much have the support of forensic science.
The Home Minister said that the government may decide to make use of forensic science in some crimes, for example in every crime having a punishment of 7 years jail term. Buy only making that rule will not be enough, we will need manpower, which is not available at present. So, first manpower will have to be created. Forensic Science University will be able to solve this problem by creating students and officers in the field of forensic science. He said no student who has completed courses in existing forensic science colleges are unemployed, which means there is enough demand for experts in the field.
Commenting on the changing role of police from British era to today, Amit Shah said that while earlier the primary function of police was to maintain the stability of the British empire, Sardar Patel brought forth a new paradigm for Indian police system after independence. Today the primary objective of police is to serve people and protect their rights.
Shah emphasized the need for police modernization in a changing era filled with new challenges. He also remembered the 34,800 police personnel who laid their lives in the line of duty to keep India safe from internal security threats.
The Home Minister also called for a countrywide consultative process to make changes in IPC and CrPC.