Police Reforms: Ongoing discussions and debates about police reforms and accountability in India
India’s democratic fabric rests on institutions that protect both rights and order. Among them, the police force is perhaps the most visible—and the most controversial. With daily interactions ranging from law enforcement to civil unrest management, the Indian police occupy a critical space. Yet, they remain largely unreformed, structurally colonial, and institutionally unaccountable. The demand for police reforms is not new, but recent events have reignited the debate and brought it back into public and judicial focus.
At the heart of the crisis lies a contradiction: the police are expected to be the custodians of the Constitution but are often beholden to political will and outdated colonial-era laws. The Police Act of 1861, enacted in the aftermath of the 1857 rebellion, continues to shape police functioning in most states.
This law emphasizes command and control, not service or accountability. Numerous committees and judicial pronouncements have highlighted this flaw, yet implementation has remained piecemeal at best.
The most notable intervention came from the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment in Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006). The Court laid down seven directives aimed at insulating the police from political interference, improving transparency in appointments, and setting up grievance redressal mechanisms. Among them were the establishment of State Security Commissions, fixed tenures for senior officers, and the creation of Police Complaints Authorities (PCAs) at the state and district levels. Yet, 19 years later, compliance remains sporadic. Most states have either diluted these directives or failed to implement them at all.
Recent incidents have once again brought these failures into sharp focus. The custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu’s Sathankulam police station (2020), the allegations of police complicity during the Manipur violence, and the brutal crackdowns during protests in various states have exposed how deep the rot runs. Equally worrying is the politicization of police forces, where transfers, promotions, and postings are routinely manipulated for political gain. This not only demoralizes the service but also erodes public trust.
In June 2024, the Supreme Court reiterated its concern, pulling up several states for non compliance with the Prakash Singh guidelines and seeking detailed affidavits. The Court emphasized that “mere lip service to reform cannot substitute genuine structural change.” The Justice Madan Lokur Committee, appointed by the SC in the wake of continuing custodial abuses, recently submitted a report recommending a National Police Accountability Commission, with independent investigative powers over custodial violence, fake encounters, and abuse of authority.
Meanwhile, the Union Government has introduced the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, replacing the old Code of Criminal Procedure. While some provisions aim at modernization—including digital FIRs and timelines for investigations— critics argue that without parallel police reforms, procedural changes alone will not transform policing culture.
What India needs is not just administrative tinkering, but a radical reimagining of the police as a people-centric, rights-respecting force. This involves:
1. Enacting a Model Police Law, replacing the 1861 Act, and binding all states to minimum standards of autonomy, oversight, and accountability.
2. Empowering independent PCAs, with the authority to investigate complaints against police personnel, including senior officers.
3. Institutionalizing community policing, to rebuild trust between the public and the police.
4. Introducing performance-based evaluations focused on service delivery, not political obedience.
5. Ensuring gender and diversity representation, and providing regular human rights training at all levels.
Policing in a democracy cannot be a colonial relic. It must evolve into a professional, impartial, and service-oriented institution. The judiciary has repeatedly called for reform. Commissions have repeatedly recommended reform. The people have consistently demanded reform. The question is: why is political will still missing?
Police reform is not about weakening law enforcement. It is about making it just, efficient, and accountable. It is about empowering the police to protect, not persecute. In a nation governed by the rule of law, justice must not just be done—but must be done transparently, without fear or favour, and through institutions worthy of public trust.
