POLICING IN INDIA TODAY - A CRITICAL APPRAISAL

POLICING IN INDIA TODAY

&nbsp;&nbsp;The paper depicts policing in post-colonial India at the backdrop of changing socio-cultural-political milieu as well as emerging challenges of the 21&lt;SUP&gt;st&lt;/SUP&gt; century. In India the institution of police was created by the `alien`British colonial power to administer its colonial subjects ？the Indian masses, in the year 1861. Such an act was necessary to maintain hegemony over its colonial subjects. From its inception such an act was reactive, repressive in nature and was never accountable to the masses. After Independence India adopted a Sovereign, Secular Democratic framework with an aim to provide justice, liberty, equality, fraternity, to all its citizens. However even after Independence and at the dawn of the millennium, the institution of Police is still governed by the archaic Police Act of 1861. The paper makes an attempt to point out certain lacunae within certain sections of the Police Act and in certain legal provisions of our country. The paper points out certain vices which have emerged within the Indian society which affected the Indian police system. The paper discusses certain draconian laws which have been enacted by the Government of India, affecting the functioning of the police as well as the society, at large. At the same time the paper hints at some of the inherent problems within the police sustem. It tries to find out the measures adopted to reform the police system. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;In these last six decades drastic changes have taken place in the socio-political economic structure of the Indian society. India being a developing economy is passing through a process of globalization of economy, communication, political ideas. The process of globalization is confronting the localized indigenous culture. The middle echelons of our society who are often the silent spectators of the political processes have also raised their voice on glocal issues like environmental problems, animal rights, feminist movements and other issues. The nature and types of crime have also drastically changed. Terrorism ？the greatest menace of the 21&lt;SUP&gt;st&lt;/SUP&gt; century is haunting not only India but the entire human civilization. The nature of crime ranges from trans-border organized crime, cybercrime, trafficking of women and children, crime against senior citizens etc. New laws like Juvenile Justice Act 2000 have been enacted by the Parliament. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Bill, 2005, have been passed by both the houses of the Indian Parliament. Thus the gamut of police work has also increased. It is not only a law enforcement agency, an agent of social control, but are problem solvers and peace ？ keepers of late modernity. They are to anticipate, detect, communicate risks to other functional agencies and manage risks in our society. In this pursuit the institution of police requires the support of the civil society. It needs to develop partnership with the community members, with the civil society. Along with the “Zero-Tolerance” approach to curb violent crime there is a need to generate “Policing by Consent”by implementing Community Policing. In India Community Policing schemes like Neighbourhood Watch schemes, Senior Citizen`s scheme, Juvenile Aid camps, De-addiction centers for drug addicts and alcoholics etc have been established in India. <BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;The paper delves further with the impediments confronted while implementing Community Policing in India. At the end an endeavor has been made to suggest and recommend ways to improve police administration in the country. Some of the suggestions include formation of Social Policing system, collaboration of private security agencies with the police system to ensure community safety etc.