The 25 state governments have primary responsibility for maintaining law and order. However, the central Government provides guidance and support through use of national paramilitary forces and in law has ultimate responsibility for protecting the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
The bulk of the Indian Police is comprised of forces in the States. Each State has its own force headed by a Director-General of Police (DGP) who is equivalent in rank to his counterpart in the Union Government forces. A number of Additional Directors-General or Inspectors-General of Police (IGP) who look after various portfolios, such as Personnel, Law & Order, Intelligence, Crime, Armed Police, Training, and Technical Services are located at the State Police Headquarters and report directly to the DGP.
Major cities in a State are headed by a Commissioner of Police (CP) who, again, reports to the DGP. Areas outside these cities in a State are divided into Districts of varying size. Each district is headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP) and supervised by a Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) whose jurisdiction is called a Range, composed of a group of three or four districts.
The administration of prisons in India is the sole responsibility of the States. All prisons are managed by State governments or by the Union Territory administration. The Central Government is largely concerned with policy formulation and planning services. In each State, the head of prison administration is an Inspector-General who is usually a police officer.
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History of police forces in India
• Police in India – origin – Vedic period.
• Organisation – watch and ward – bringing evil-doers to justice – in existence – one form or other – differed according to the development of society – functions and duties – limited in scope in early times – increased with population and means of communication.
• Police – independent unit in the State administration – introduced by the British -1861 – Police Act – need for a common pattern of police organisation and properly trained and disciplined body of men exclusively devoted to the prevention and detection of crime – police system on a provisional basis – Inspector General as the head of the provincial police administration – provinces – divided into districts – Superintendents of Police – heads of the police administration under the control of Magistrates.
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• Further improvements – recommendations of the Police Commission of 1902-03.
• Indian Police Service – took time to acquire the designation – 1890s and later – known as the Imperial branch of the Colonial Police Service – officers of the Imperial service wore shoulder badges of their Provinces: e.g., “P.P.” for Punjab, “B.P” for Bengal.
• 1907 – the Secretary of State in London – directed officers to wear the “I.P.” – epaulettes to distinguish from the Deputy Superintendents of Police – new rank – starting point for Indian Police Service – another 10 years – officially known as the Indian Police Service.
• Referred – first time – by designation – 1917 – Islington Commission Report.
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• 1932 – ‘Service’ – dropped from designation – as demanded by the Indian Police Association – simpler designation – “Indian Police” – again officially adopted – till independence.
• After independence – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – first Union Home Minister – no democratic government effective – without a proper, weli-organised, well-educated, well-disciplined, well-paid and independent civil service to carry out its will and to advice it on how to give its policies concrete and practical shape – saw the importance of organising the civil services on all-India basis – Central Government – say in their recruitment, training and career – counter-balance to emergent centrifugal forces – threat to unity and integrity of India.
• October 10, 1949 – Constituent Assembly – Sardar Patel – emphasized the importance of having a ring of services – help the country remain intact under a Federal Constitution -“… the Union will go, you will not have a united India, if you have not a good All India Service, which has the independence to speak out its mind…”.
• Indian Police Service born – as an All India Service – successor service to the I.P. Recruitment
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• After 1860 – recruitment of senior police officers – done in two ways- appointing officers from the British Army – nomination from among younger sons of landed gentry in UK.
• 1893 – nomination system abolished – Army source discontinued – recruitment of officers through a combined competitive examination – held in London for the Indian Police Service – candidates – top of the merit list – appointed as Assistant Superintendents of Police – Provincial Governments – permitted to recruit some officers directly – common examination – conducted separately – domiciled Europeans only – superior police service – exclusively European service.
• Later – as in other civil services – recruitment to the IPS allowed for the Indians.
• Today – recruitment made through the Combined Civil Services Examination – conducted annually – by the Union Public Service Commission.
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• All India Service of the Union – Article 312 – Constitution of India.
• Ministry of Home affairs – cadre-controlling authority – dealing with appointment, training, fixation of seniority & pay, and deputation.
• Probationers recruited – undergo – very tough basic training course – all aspects of physical/academic/ arms/other activities – Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), Hyderabad – successful completion – confirmed in service – assigned to various State or U.T. cadres.
• Career in the IPS – full of opportunities – within the service – deputation outside the service within India and abroad – challenges – variety.