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23rd Standing Committee Report of the petroleum ministry recommends options to expand strategic petroleum reserves (SPRs) in the country.

Key Recommendations for Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Overground Storage, Reducing Crude Oil Dependency, and Funding Imperatives 

• Overground Storage: Existing and recently commissioned refineries should set up strategic storage capacity by  building five or six small, ground-level storage tanks with smaller capacities like 2 to 3 days at 5 to 6 locations which can bring up 15 to 20 days additional capacity.
• Assess the Dependence on Crude oil:  To increase the capacity for SPRs with an eye on demand in 2040 with the  International Energy Agency anticipating India’s crude oil demand to reach 8.7 million barrels a day by 2040, with an import dependency of over 90 per cent.
• The committee asked the ministry to provide adequate  funds for creating storage caverns.
• It also asked state-run petroleum companies to store and maintain the caverns for their usage.

Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs): Safeguarding Energy Security through ISPRL

• Present capacity: India’s existing strategic storage is of 5.33 million tonnes (39 million barrels) meeting  approximately 9.5 days of national demand.
• Objective: To ensure the country’s energy security, by building a strategic reserve of oil that can be used in case of emergency situations.
• Implementing Agency: Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL) It  is a wholly owned subsidiary (WOS) of the Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB), which is a Body Corporate.

Limitations in Strategic Petroleum Reserves: Infrastructure, Space, and Funding Concerns

• Lack of adequate infrastructure:  A strategic storage facility needs  to have adequate infrastructure in the form of ships, ports, and pipeline connectivity  to other plants across India.
• Lack of space: Because of the  limited space at existing facilities, each of the proposed storage tanks may hold only around 30,000 tonnes of crude oil, and  20 such tanks across India will hold around 600,000 tonnes, fulfilling just  a day’s demand.
• Funds: The allocation for building the  Phase II of SPRs is meagre with only Rs 510 crore allocated,  a fraction of the cost of Phase I’s cost around Rs 4,100 crore.
• Easily  accessible: The SPR should be easily accessible  to any refinery in the country to enable smooth and continuous production of petroleum. 

News source: Business Standard 

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Launching MEGP Initiative, a compendium of field stories to help countries learn and invest in traditional climate resilient crops such as millet, etc was launched recently.

MEGP Initiative Elevates Millet Adoption with Best Practices from Asia and Africa

• Showcasing Experiences: The compendium showcases experiences from Asian and African countries, including India.
• Scaling Up Best Practices: It will help in capacity building and scaling up the best practices in the adoption of millets across the world.
• Successful Implementation of MEGP Initiative: It also signifies the successful realization of the Mapping and Exchange of the Good Practices (MEGP) Initiative for Millets Mainstreaming in Asia and Africa.

NITI Aayog and WFP Collaborate in MEGP Initiative for Sustainable Practices

• About: It is implemented through the collaboration of NITI Aayog and the World Food Programme (WFP).
• Documenting Good practices: The initiative will support the documentation of good practices and present an opportunity of experience sharing amongst Asian and African developing countries. 

• Entries for the MEGP Initiative: They are invited in two main categories as per the following millet mainstreaming framework.
• Millet value chain (production, storage & transportation, processing, packaging & branding, distribution & consumption)
• Mainstreaming dimensions (institutional commitment & coordination, multi-stakeholder partnership, sustainable and innovative financing, gender & inclusion, and enabling environment for safety nets inclusion).

MEGP Initiative’s Benefits for Millet Startups, Networking, and Scale-Up

• Access to bridge initiatives like back-supporting millet startups
• Access to regional platforms for learning dissemination
• Access to networking platforms, including donors, innovation labs, research institutes, government departments etc.
• Linkages with government departments for potential scale-up

News Source: PIB

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Recently, Chief of Staff, Royal Saudi Naval Forces Admiral Fahad Abdullah S Al-Ghofaily, was on a four-day official visit to India, strengthening naval cooperation

About India- Saudi Arabia Naval Cooperation: 

• Naval Interaction: Indian Navy cooperates with the Royal Saudi Naval Force through various initiatives including: 
  • Operational interactions such as the bilateral naval exercise Al Mohed Al Hindi. 
  • Training and other maritime avenues. 

• Interaction at Various Multilateral Fora: 

• • Exercise Milan. 
  • Indian Ocean Naval Symposium.
  • Djibouti Code of Conduct – Jeddah Amendment (DCoC-JA), etc.
• Increase in Naval Cooperation: It shows commitment to address shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Further Reading: India Saudi Arabia Partnership: Navigating Opportunity, India Saudi Arabia Strategic relation: Bilateral collaboration and Beyond

News Source: TH

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Mount Marapi on the Indonesian island of Sumatra erupted recently.

Mount Marapi: The Blazing Peak in West Sumatra’s Padang Highlands

• Mount Marapi means “Mountain of Fire ” .
• Location: It is situated in the  Padang Highlands of  West Sumatra, Indonesia.
• Mountain type: Complex Volcano and is a  part of the Ring of Fire (a long, horseshoe-shaped, seismically active belt that rings the Pacific Ocean.)

Indonesia: Prone to volcanic Eruptions.

• Indonesia is one of the equatorial countries located in the Pacific Ring of Fire (It is a horseshoe shaped area of approximately 40,000 km (25,000 miles) from South America to North America through the Bering Strait, Japan up to New Zealand)
• Along the Ring of Fire,  75% of the total 452 volcanoes are active in nature, with Indonesia possessing 76 active volcanoes alone spread along the islands of Sumatra, Java, Celebes, and Lesser Sunda making it the country having the most active volcanoes in the world.

Additional Information: Volcano Eruption in Iceland

News Source: NDTV

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There are 1,811 saltwater crocodiles in Odisha’s Bhitarkanika, the annual census reveals.

Annual Census Reveals Marginal Increase in Bhitarkanika’s Crocodile Population

• The annual  census is being conducted in January as it  is  a suitable time to count the animals because of peak winter, exposure of more than 50 per cent of mud banks and the lunar cycle.
• The presence of 1,811 crocodiles in the park is a marginal increase from last year’s census numbered at 1,793.

Bhitarkanika National Park: A Coastal Marvel in Odisha’s Estuarial Landscape

• Location: District Kendrapara,  Odisha
•  It is surrounded by Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary,  Gahirmatha Beach and Marine Sanctuary. 
  • It lies in the estuarial region of Brahmani-Baitrani with Bay of Bengal lying in the East
• Ramsar site:  It is Ramsar site since 19 August 2002 and is Second site from state of Odisha after the Chilika Lake.
• Rivers:  Brahmani, Baitarani, Dhamra, and Pathsala.

• Bhitarkanika is the second-largest mangrove forest ecosystem  in India after the Sundarbans in West BengaI.
• Fauna:  Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), Indian python, king cobra, black ibis, darter etc.  Olive ridley turtles nest on Gahirmatha and other nearby beaches. 
• Unique features: 
  • All the 3 species of crocodiles ie. Gharial ( critically endangered), Mugger crocodile (vulnerable) and Saltwater crocodile are found in the Bhitarkanika national park.
  • Bagagahana or the heronry near Surajpore creek: Here Thousands of birds colonise the creek for nesting and perform  aerial acrobatics  prior to mating making  for an impressive sight.

News source: Down to Earth

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The President of India has greeted her fellow citizens on the eve of Lohri, Makar Sankranti, Magh Bihu and Pongal (which fall on January 13th, 14th and 15th respectively).

Vibrant Tradition of Celebration during ‘Uttarayan’ in Gujarat: 

• As a part of the official celebration of ‘Uttarayan’, the Gujarat government has been hosting the International Kite Festival since 1989.

About Makar Sankranti:

• A Festive Day: Makar Sankranti is a festival day in the Hindu calendar. Sankranti is worshiped as a God, who legends believe killed the devil Sankarasur.
  • It is also celebrated as a harvest Festival.
• It follows the Solar Cycle and thus, is celebrated almost on the same day every year.
• Signifies Change of Seasonality: The day is a marker for a change of season – warmer months are close and we are moving away from winter.
  • It marks the first day of the sun’s transit into the Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.

Additional Information: Makar Sankranti

News Source: PIB

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The entire western Himalayas has been witnessing a prolonged dry spell with barely any hope for a revival in the next two weeks.

Kashmir’s Rainfall Deficit: Impact on Groundwater, Horticulture, and Tourism

• There is around 75 percent rainfall deficit in Kashmir in December and January leading to severe dry spells and impact on groundwater, horticulture and tourism.

Kashmir’s Unusual Winter: Challenging the Traditional Chilla Calendar with Absence of Snowfall

• The winter in Kashmir is about 70 days long, beginning from December 22nd. The first forty days are called the Chilla Kalan, the next twenty days are called the Chilla Khurd, and the last ten days are called the Chilla Bachi. These are the times for water recharge through winter snowfall. 
• However, in this season, there is an absence of winter moisture and snowfall with experts predicting no improvement in the next 2 weeks. 

Kashmir’s Dry Spell: Absence of Western Disturbances, Global Warming Impact, and Ecological Concerns

• Absence of Western Disturbance(WD): The absence of WD has led to an absence of snowfalls, as snow falls happen due to the WDs. 

• Relation with El Nino: The frequency of WD generally increases before the onset of the El Nino in an El Nino year. However, this year, global warming seems to have become dominant. 
• Impact of Global Warming: Due to global warming, the frequencies of WDs have reduced as the mid-latitude jet streams causing such circulations are moving north towards the polar region robbing the country of crucial winter precipitations.
• North Atlantic Oscillation: Experts have said a strong positive correlation exists between the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and winter precipitation in the Kashmir region. 
  • Positive NAO leads to more active western disturbances (WDs) that bring the majority of winter precipitation to the Kashmir region
  • There was a negative NAO during December 2023 and a strongly negative NAO is predicted for January 2024, leading to very low snowfall this season.
• Ecological: The forests in Gulmarg are continuously cut down to build hotels. Additionally, garbage and plastic wastes are being dumped in forests, affecting climate and ecological balance.  

Kashmir’s Dry Spell: Impact on Tourism, Winter Sports, Water Resources, and Economic Sectors

• Decline in Tourist arrivals: There has been a 70% decline in tourist arrivals in Gulmarg, where most of the adventure and sports events like skiing are organized in winter amid snowfall.
• Impact on adventure winter sports: The 4th ‘Khelo India Winter Games,’ organized in Gulmarg and scheduled to start in the first week of February, might also be deferred.
• Water Resources: The absence of snow means a scarcity of water sources, as the melting snow usually contributes to the rivers and lakes that the birds depend on.
• Drinking Water: With rivers drying up, drinking water supply through springs and canals has also been affected.
• Hydroelectricity: prolonged dry spell and scanty rainfall in the past few months reduced generation in the hydroelectric power projects across J&K as well. 
• Apple Economy: The absence of snow has hampered the Apple farmers as the layer of snow acts as a protective blanket, insulating the trees from extreme cold. 

Way Forward: Water Management and Sustainable Tourism Practices for the Future

• Adaptation of strategic water management practices: To address the impact on agriculture, there is a need for strategic water management practices, drought-resistant crop varieties, and adaptive agricultural techniques. 
• Balance between the economy and ecology: Efforts should be made to improve the balance between the economy and ecology, by not allowing hotel construction in key ecological areas so that there is sustainable tourism. 

News Source:  Deccan Herald

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Tshering Tobgay and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won the runoff election in Bhutan

Bhutan’s Pro-India Leader and the Strategic Implications for the Region

• Tobgay, is a conservationist and former civil servant and served as prime minister of Bhutan earlier from 2013 to 2018. 
• Newly-elected Tobgay is considered pro-India and thus is expected to be a major boost to India’s regional strategic concerns.

The Two Round System: An Insight into Runoff Voting and its Electoral Significance

• Runoff Voting is also known as a two round system (TRS). Runoff Voting is a voting method used to elect a single candidate when a second election must be held because the first election did not reach the necessary threshold of votes needed for a candidate to win.  
• The election process usually proceeds to a second round only if in the first round no candidate received a simple majority (more than 50%) of votes cast or some other lower prescribed percentage.

Democracy in Bhutan: Evolving from Monarchy to Multiparty Elections with Persistent Challenges

• Beginning: Bhutan transitioned from a monarchy to a parliamentary democracy in 2008. The nation is still ruled in the name of the monarch. Still, the King holds little actual political authority.

• Deepening of Democracy:  

• • The recent race saw five candidates compared to two in initial elections. 
  • Compared to past elections, candidates had specific promises and positions this time, giving voters a genuine choice.
• Problems: Challenges like media censorship, discrimination against religious and linguistic minorities and lack of accountability among the politicians still remain.

Bhutan and India: Challenges and Seizing Opportunities in the Geopolitical Landscape

• Challenges: Bhutan has shown strong inclinations to resolve its border issue with China, despite no formal diplomatic relations, a concern for India.
• Opportunity: It is a chance for India to showcase how its approach to neighbors differs from China’s debt trap. It will be important given the rising anti-India sentiment in neighbors.

Additional Reading: India-Bhutan Relations

Source: Indian Express

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The Lancet Commission on Global Cancer Surgery noted that surgery is central to national cancer control plans. 

In contrast, India’s new guidelines on non-communicable diseases (2023) that focus on cancer heavily have a sparse mention of surgery.

Advancing Health Equity through Access and Inclusivity in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

• Global surgery is the study and practice of improving access to timely, quality, and affordable surgical care. 
  • It is an essential component of global health. 
  • SOTA: These “surgeries” include essential and emergency surgeries such as surgery, obstetrics, trauma, and anesthesia (SOTA). 

• Predominant Focus: On low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
  • It also prioritizes access disparities and under-served populations in high-income countries (HICs).

• World Health Organization Declaration on Safe Surgery (WHO Resolution 68.15): The LCoGS paved the way for the passage of the WHO Resolution 68.15.
  • It recognized the impossibility of universal health coverage without the required commitment to emergency and essential surgical systems.
• 2015: This year can be considered the “Annus Mirabilis” or the miracle year for global surgery as it proved to be an inflection point in recognising the importance of surgical care on a global scale. 

Challenges Associated With Global Surgery: Access Barriers, Mortality Burdens, and Policy Neglect for Sustainable Health Impact

• Inaccessibility: As per the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS), five billion people or over 70% of the global population lack timely access to safe and affordable surgical care when needed. 
  • 99% and 96% of the people in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) respectively, face access gaps compared to 24% in high-income countries (HICs). Disease Burden: In 2010, around 17 million deaths were attributed to surgically treatable conditions. 
  • As per the Global Surg Collaborative, perioperative mortality is the third most common cause of death and it is partly due to the lack of timely care, unsafe surgeries and limited capacity of surgical systems. 
  • As per the DCPN, LMICs have over 77 million surgically avertable Disability-Adjusted Life-Years (DALY) that form 3.5% of the total disease burden in these countries. 
• Economic Burden: The approximate loss to GDP due to the absence of scale-up of surgical care is $20.7 trillion (in purchasing power parity terms) across 128 countries by 2030. 
  • The annual loss in societal welfare was about $14.5 trillion for 175 countries. 
• Neglect of Surgery in Policy-making: An analysis of National Health Strategic Plans from 43 African countries noted that 19% did not mention surgery. 
  • An analysis of 70+ years of policymaking in India also has limited attention to surgery. 
  • A bibliometric analysis reveals that in 2022, there were only 315 ‘global surgery’ titles (1.5%) in the Pubmed database compared to 21,453 ‘global health’ titles. 
• Neglected Funding: As per Developmental Assistance for Health (DAH), contributions to trauma care are <$1 per DALY compared to $41 per DALY for HIV or $25 for tuberculosis. 

Conclusion:

• Surgery is an integral, indivisible component of a properly functioning health system, and all people should have access to safe, high-quality surgical and anesthesia care with financial protection when needed. The challenges in global surgery are difficult but solvable. 
• Research and innovation, policy focus, and sustained financing are key to solving global surgery challenges. 

News Source: The Hindu

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This editorial is based on the news “The geography of unequal growth” which was published in The hindu. The income Disparities in India’s states over the past three decades have increased significantly.

Geographical income Disparities in India’s Economic Landscape: A Tale of Rising Income Gaps Across States

• Geographical Divide of SDP: 

  • A clear geographical distinction exists between states with per capita State Domestic Product (SDP) above the national average in 2019-20 and those below it.
  • The affluent states are situated in the south, west, and northwest, while the less prosperous ones are in the north, center, and east (refer to the map).
  • During 1990-91, the per capita State Domestic Product (SDP) of the higher-income states was 1.7 times that of the lower-income states which increased to 2.5 times by 2019-20.

• Prominent Distinction of SDP in the Manufacturing and Services Sector: 

  • In manufacturing, the higher- to lower-income states’ per capita SDP ratio increased from 2.4 in 1990-91 to 3.6 in 2019-20. 
  • Similarly, the services sector rose from 2.0 to 2.9 over the same period.

Exploring the Multifaceted Causes of Regional Income Disparities in India’s Economic Landscape

• Historical Factors

  • The British rulers and industrialists developed only those regions in India that possessed rich potential for prosperous manufacturing and trading activities.
  • Ex-Maharashtra and three metropolitan cities like Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai. 

• Failure of Planning Mechanism:

  • The planning mechanisms enlarged the disparity between India’s developed and less developed states.
  • Punjab and Haryana received the highest per capita plan outlay from  the First to the Seventh Plan. States like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh also received larger plan outlays in almost all the five-year plans.
  • On the other hand, the backward states received the smallest allocation of per capita plan outlay in almost all the plans. 

• Lack of Growth of Ancillary Industries in Backward States:

  • The Government followed  a decentralized approach for the development of backward regions, establishing public sector industrial enterprises in backward areas like Rourkela, Barauni, Bhilai, Bongaigaon etc. 
  • However, due to lack of growth of ancillary industries in these areas, all these areas remained backward in spite of huge investment made by the government. 

• Failure of India’s Industrialization Strategy: 

• • Unlike China, India could not break its stagnant history of industrialization. Instead, the services sector emerged as the driver of economic growth.
  • The inability of the industry and services sector to generate sufficient jobs for people migrating from agriculture is another reason for this disparity.
  • Between 2012 and 2019, there has not been a 1 percentage point increase in the workforce employed in the industry sector.

• Concentration of Services Sector in High-Income States: 

• • A major source of growth in the post-liberalisation era has come from services, particularly information-technology companies. which account for 7.4 percent of gross domestic product and employ 5.4 million people. 
  • They are almost entirely located in the few higher-income states with West Bengal (Kolkata) as an exception. 
  • Recently, some cities have emerged as information technology (infotech) hubs in states with lower growth rates. Ex-Jaipur, Indore, Bhopal, and Bhubaneswar.
  •  However, no such developments have been observed in the northern states.

• Declining Public Investments: 

  • The primary factor contributing to the expanding disparity in per capita State Domestic Product (SDP) is the increased shift in investment from the public to the private sector during the post-1991 liberalization era. 
  • Between 1990-91 and 2019-20, the public sector’s share in gross fixed capital formation has declined from 40 percent to 23 percent, while the private sector’s share has increased from 18 percent to 38 percent.
  • Consequently, the highly imbalanced distribution of significant entrepreneurial capacity in large enterprises within the private sector stands out as the most crucial reason for the widening gap in per capita income between the north, center, and east, on the one hand, and the south, west, and northwest, on the other.

• Poor Linkage of Economic Hubs: 

  • India’s growth hubs are not connected with each other, either geographically or via a particular engine of growth. 
  • The few growth hubs in India did not lead to spillover effects leading to  skewed distribution of employment across the states creating pockets of poverty in the poorer states.
  • Poor States are employed in some forms of agricultural activity. However,  their contribution to the national GDP is minimal. 
  • With no growth engine, there is no economic mechanism by which these states can connect and benefit from a spillover effect.
  • Ex-Uttar Pradesh (north, sub-Himalayan), Rajasthan (far-west, desert), Madhya Pradesh (center, arid plateau), Bihar and Orissa (contiguous states in the north-east) and sub-Himalayan states in the far-east.

• Limited Success of Green Revolution (GR): 

  • The benefits of the GR have been unevenly distributed, with some regions benefiting more than others.
  • The benefits were concentrated in Punjab, Haryana and Western UP regions, creating economic and social disparities among regions.

• Economic Disparities: Socio-Economic Inequities in India’s Development Landscape: 

• • Labour Force Disparity: In northern and central states, the urban labour force participation rate and the percentage of workers with regular wage/salary income are below the national average.
  • Disparity in Access to Engineering Education:  About 70 percent of the engineering seats are in higher-income states.
  • Poor Investment in Education: Health spending has increased from 4.5 percent to 6.6 percent, and the spending in education has decreased (from 10.8 percent to 9.7 percent).
  • Entrepreneurship Imbalance:  According to the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) 2019-20, higher-income states accounted for approximately 75 percent of the number of factories, fixed capital, and employment. 
    • 87 out of the wealthiest 100 Indians reside in high-growth states.

Impact of Unequal Growth: The asymmetric growth resulted in a concentration of industries in select pockets, resulting in

• It impacts households’ access to basic services such as health, nutrition, and physical infrastructure
• highly skewed population distribution
• Overcrowded cities
• Migration of poor to urban areas
• The increase in slums
• The rise in the cost of urban housing
• Quality-of-life issues such as water table depletion and air pollution.

Government Initiatives for Regional Development and Reducing Disparities in India

• Income Distance weightage in 14th Finance Commission: The commission assigned 50% weight to income distance as it is the only measure of fiscal capacity. 
  • Income distance is the distance of a state’s income from the state with the highest income.
• Backward Regions Grant Fund Scheme: It is designed to redress regional imbalances in development. The fund will provide financial resources for supplementing and converging existing developmental inflows into identified districts.  

• Rashtriya Sam Vikas Yojana (RSVY):  The Scheme aimed at focused development programs for backward areas, which would help reduce imbalances and speed up development.
• Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP): It  aims to transform the 112 most under-developed districts nationwide.
• National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM):  It aims to promote poverty reduction by building strong institutions for the poor, particularly women, and enabling these institutions to access a range of financial services and livelihoods. 

Way Forward: Strategies for Bridging Economic Disparities in India

• Connecting Value Chains in High-Income States with Low-Income States:  Entrepreneurship and labor skills in lower-income states need to be promoted along with connecting these regions with higher-income states. 
  • At present,  the national value chains in industries like vehicle manufacturing are more or less confined to the higher-income states. 
  • Hence, a national policy that promotes value chains that link enterprises in southern and western states with lower-cost opportunities for input supply or assembly operations in northern and eastern states is needed. 
  • This will require measures to encourage the expansion of medium and small enterprises, which are present in large numbers in lower-income states.
• Skill Development: Immediate actions are required to enhance skill development and engineering education. 
  • This will cultivate the potential necessary to attract enterprises from higher-income states that have either already surpassed or are on the verge of reaching a stage where their share in the working-age population is no longer increasing.
• Region-specific interventions:  A one-size-fits-all approach is unsuitable for a diverse country like India. 
  • It needs a focus on dimensions such as setting up agro-processing storage unit storage and transportation and generating accessible employment opportunities supplemented by significant investments in education and health.
• Relaxing Borrowing Limits for Poor States: The country’s Poorer states require a long-term fiscal stimulus to catch up with the rest of the country. 
• • The central government may reduce its borrowing and debt limits to facilitate more liberal borrowing limits for poor state governments.
  • This will enable poorer states to raise their capex spending, raising growth, and helping them catch up with other states.
• Increasing Female Labour Force Participation Rate: The female labor force must be empowered to increase their participation rate.
  • According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey Report 2022-23,  India’s Female Labour Force Participation Rate stands at 37.0% in 2023.

Conclusion

The issue of regional development disparity must be given prime importance as 75 percent of the medium-term and 90 percent of long-term growth in the working-age population will occur in these states. If we fail to boost these states’ income and growth potential, India’s demographic dividend will become a demographic downfall, which could worsen political instability.

News Source: Business Standard

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This editorial is based on the news “A case diary for the Indian police” which was published in The hindu. Recently, a three-day conference of police officers (Director General of Police level) from across India was held in Jaipur to bring a police reform in the policing system. 

Police Reform Agenda: Navigating Technology Challenges and Strengthening Security Measures

• Stocktaking Exercise: The exercise aimed to estimate existing policing situations in India, with many subjects of contemporary relevance in information technology forming the agenda’s core.
• Important Areas for Discussions: Discussions were held on the necessity of changing laws, and increasing punishments and fines with dedicated deliberations on human trafficking. 
  • Other areas included cybercrime, technology in policing, counter-terrorism challenges, left-wing extremism, prison reforms, new criminal laws, AI, Deepfake, and other internal security issues. 
• Aim of Conference: To address the challenges posed by new technologies and identify tangible action points.

Role of Police in India: Safeguarding Justice, Order, and Citizenry, Police Reform 

• Police: It is a functionary of the criminal justice system in India and plays an important role in maintaining peace and enforcing law and order within its territorial jurisdiction. 
• Primary Duty of Police: To safeguard the lives and property of the people and protect them against violence, intimidation, oppression, and disorder.  
• Acts as Links: Police are the important link between the government and people. Police are also connected with prosecution and judiciary.
• Position in 7th Schedule: Article 246 of the Constitution of India places the police and public order in the State List.

India’s Police Force – Police Reforms, Accountability, and Modernization Challenges

• Overburdened Police Force: As per data from the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the police-public ratio in India stood at 152.80 per lakh persons. United Nations recommended standard is 222 police per lakh persons. 
  • The state with the highest number of police personnel was Nagaland with around 1189.33 police personnel per lakh of the population, as against the sanctioned 1212.39 personnel.
  • Bihar recorded the lowest police-public ratio, with only 75.16 police personnel per lakh of the population. 
• Lack of Trust Among Public: The police have yet to establish trust and confidence among a significant portion of the population as their public image remains unfavorable. 
  • The 2nd Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) has noted that police-public relations are unsatisfactory because people view the police as corrupt, inefficient, politically partisan, and unresponsive.
• Accountability to the Political Executive vs Operational Freedom: Both the central and state police forces come under the control and superintendence of the political executive (i.e., central or state government). 
  • The 2nd ARC has noted that this control has been abused in the past by the political executive to influence police personnel unduly, and have them serve personal or political interests. 
• Centre-State Issues: There is increasing disagreement between the Centre and a few States concerning the centrally managed Indian Police Service, perceived to be a permanent irritant to some States.
• Underutilisation of Funds for Modernization: Both centers and states allocate funds for the modernization of state police forces but these funds are typically used for strengthening police infrastructure, by way of the construction of police stations, the purchase of weaponry, communication equipment, and vehicles. 
  • However, there has been a persistent problem of underutilization of modernization funds. 

• Addressing Gaps in Policing – Diversity, Infrastructure, and Tech Challenges

• • Limited Diversity in Police Force: Even though the all-India percentage of women in the police force has improved steadily over the past 10 years, rising from 5.87% in 2013 to 11.75% in 2022, as per Home Ministry, it is still way short from parity.
  • Poor Infrastructure: Police forces across India lack weapons and fundamental communications and transport infrastructure
  • Evolution of Crime: Increasingly complex crimes, such as economic fraud and deepfake challenge the police, who lack the modern technology for investigation.

Way Forward: A Blueprint for Comprehensive Police Reforms in India

• Independent Complaints Authority: The 2nd ARC and the Supreme Court have observed that there is a need to have an independent complaints authority to inquire into cases of police misconduct. 
  • For example, the United Kingdom has an Independent Office for Police Conduct to oversee complaints against police officers.  Further, the New York City Police has a Civilian Complaint Review Board to investigate police misconduct cases.
• Need to Reinforce the Positive Image of the Police in Citizens: Using social media at the Police Station level for disseminating positive information and advance information on natural calamities and disaster relief. 
  • Further, organizing various sports events to strengthen citizen-police connections, staying in border villages, etc. can help in establishing better connections with the local populace. 
• Community Policing Model: Community policing requires the police to work with the community to prevent and detect crime, maintain public order, and resolve local conflicts to provide a better quality of life and sense of security. 

• Formulation of Model Police Act: It is primarily the responsibility of the State Governments to formulate a new Police Act or  amend their existing Act on the lines of the draft Model Police Act prepared by the Central Government.SMART Force: Making the police a ‘SMART’ force — Strict and Sensitive, Modern and Mobile, Alert and Accountable, Reliable and Responsive, Techno savvy and Trained.
• Other Ways:
  • Adequate Education and Training: Senior officers should dedicate time to training and educating lower ranks.
  • More Decentralization: Consider giving states more control over their police forces while maintaining national standards and coordination.
  • Stronger Ethics: Promote independent decision-making and resist political pressure to ensure fair and unbiased law enforcement.

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