Centre revives plan for police university

NEW DELHI: The government has revived a proposal to set up a national university for police that will help overhaul training and drive R& D and policy making pertaining to policing issues in the country, said sources.

According to the plan, the institution will teach skills to deal with new policing challenges such as cyber crime and better mechanisms to maintain law and order, and investigation abilities.

“The matter came up for discussing on Wednesday in the home ministry. It is still at a conceptual stage and plan is being firmed up,” said a government official. The cabinet approved a proposal for a National Police University in 2008 but two years later, the then minister of state for home, Ajay Maken, said in a Parliament reply that the proposal stood withdrawn in view of the “inherent merits in conducting such courses through existing universities“.

Experts said a dedicated university is needed. “It’s a step in the right direction. There is an urgent need to have institutional study of issues like terrorism, organised crime, money laundering, etc. We are talking about smart cities but they can only come with smart police and this university will help achieve that objective,” said Prakash Singh, former BSF chief and Uttar Pradesh director general of police.

If the proposal goes through, the university may provide degrees for courses related to policing issues.

“But there are issues that need to be hammered out, like whether degree holders from the universities will be absorbed in police forces across the country. We have to bear in mind that policing is a state subject and hiring is done by respective states. And also, if students are absorbed by the private sector, the university may have to offer courses that suit the requirement of jobs in private sector,” said the ministry source.

The university will also act as a repository of data on policing in the country. It mayas well conduct research on various challenges and prepare policy suggestions. At the moment, there is a National Police Academy that offers shot-term courses and training, but mainly for Indian Police Service officers.

There is also a Sardar Patel University of Police, Security and Criminal Justice in Jod hp ur that was established by the Raj as than government.