Umbrella Scheme for Modernisation of Police Force

Source: PIB & Ministry of Home Affairs

The Government of India in 2017, approved implementation of umbrella scheme of “Modernisation of Police Forces(MPF)” for three years’ period from 2017-18 to 2019-20  

Objectives

• The objective of the scheme is to gradually reduce the dependence of the State Governments on the Army and the Central Armed Police Forces to control internal security and law and order situations by equipping the State Police Forces adequately and strengthening their training infrastructure. 
• The focus of the scheme is to strengthen police infrastructure at cutting edge level by construction of secure police stations, training centres, police housing (residential), equipping the police stations with the required mobility, modern weaponry, communication equipment and forensic set-up etc.

The umbrella scheme comprises two verticals and 17 sub-schemes as below:

The umbrella scheme has two verticals – Security Related Expenditure (SRE) of specific theatres & Modernisation of Police Forces.  Salient features of the Modernisation of Police Forces vertical are given below:

 Vertical I : Modernisation of Police Forces(MPF) of States & UTs, the sub-schemes under it are;

• Three Central Sector Sub schemes

1. Crime and Criminal Tracking Networks and System(CCTNS) 
2. Projects under Inter-State Police Wireless
3. Implementation of ePrisons 

• Two State Sector Sub schemes 

1. Assistance to States for Modernization of Police 
2. Assistance to States for Special Projects /programmes for upgrading Police infrastructure [Forensic Laboratories & Institutes and equipment]

Vertical II: Security Related Expenditure (SRE) for Jammu & Kashmir(J&K) /North East(NE) / Left Wing Extremism(LWE) 

•  Seven Central Sector Sub schemes

1. Assistance to Central Agencies & others for LWE Management 
2. Civic Action Plan (CAP) for LWE areas 
3. Media plan (Advertising & Publicity) for LWE areas 
4. Special Central Assistance(SCA) to 35 worst LWE affected districts 
5. SRE (LWE) (Central Sector) 
6. SRE (J&K) : Relief & Rehabilitation 
7. SRE (J&K): Security Environment 

• Five State Sector Sub schemes

1. SRE (J&K) – Police 
2. SRE (NE)
3. SRE(LWE) 
4. Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) along with construction of 250 fortified Police Stations in LWE affected States 
5. Reimbursement to States for administration of Central Acts & Regulations 

Central assistance for MPF 

• Central assistance is provided to the State Governments for weapons, equipment   for Forensics, Information Technology, Communication, Training, etc.  
• The   scheme   is focused   on facilitating targeted interventions and ‘mobility’ and ‘construction of police infrastructure including housing’ is now permitted in case of Jammu & Kashmir, insurgency affected North Eastern (NE) States and Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected Districts.
• Three Himalayan States, namely, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and 8 North Eastern States including Sikkim are eligible to receive financial assistance on 90:10 Centre:State sharing basis.  
• The remaining States are eligible for financial assistance on 60:40 Centre: State sharing basis

Why centre is supplementing the resources of states under the Modernisation of Police Forces scheme?

In India, police and law and order come under the purview of state governments. Accordingly, each state has its own police force for maintaining law and order and investigating crimes.  However, due to financial and other constraints, states have critical gaps in their policing infrastructure. Thus the Ministry of Home Affairs has been supplementing resources of states under the Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) scheme

Problems related to police forces 

While the MPF scheme seeks to improve police infrastructure, there are a number of structural issues that have been raised by experts over the years related to police forces.  Some of them are;

1. Overburdened police force
2. Poor quality of investigation
3. Police accountability