Police spending per capita FY 2021, by state

The Indian state of Nagaland had the highest per capita police spending of about eight thousand Indian rupees in financial year 2021. By contrast, the state of Bihar had only about 641 rupees of per capita spending that year.

Role of the police forces in India

According to article 246 of the Constitution, the police force is designated as a state subject. This means that governments at state level are accountable and responsible for police acts, rules and regulations including the administration of the force. States which have not passed their own police acts are governed by the central police act with a central legislation in place. While the key role of the police force in India is to enforce and abide with the laws, investigate crimes and ensure security, the state and central police forces take on different responsibilities. The state police is accountable for local matters such as investigation and prevention of crime and maintaining law and order. The central forces on the other hand are specialized in dealing with national security challenges such as insurgency or terrorist attacks.

Police reforms

In a vast and overpopulated country such as India, it is imperative that the police forces be well-equipped in terms of training, weaponry, personnel, forensic and transport and telecommunication to perform their role effectively. Endeavors made towards supporting India’s police reform goes back to almost 30 years with relentless submission of reports and recommendations made to the government. Even though the Supreme Court ordered implementation of specific of directives on reform, the Indian government allegedly has been non-compliant and has ignored these frameworks.