Carrot and stick

Much of the challenge of India’s internal security is coordination amongst states,and with the Centre. “Law and order” being a state subject,Central ideas of police modernisation and transparency in recruitment remain rhetoric unless state governments implement them on the ground. Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has expended considerable energy in bringing states on to his reform bandwagon,especially those affected by Naxalism. This has required the persuasiveness of his pulpit. But the home ministry can wield another weapon to ensure state compliance — Central funds. For instance,under one Central scheme to modernise police forces,more than Rs 3,000 crore has been distributed to the states in the last five years. It is in this context that the home ministry’s proposal to peg allocation of these funds to each state government’s record of reform is a step forward.

In a recent letter to chief ministers,Chidambaram wrote that “adoption of best practices such as the transparent recruitment process” is a “legitimate pre-condition” for Central funds. The Transparent Recruitment Process (TRS),pioneered by the Uttar Pradesh government,aims to eliminate corruption and discretion in police recruitment. Policemen and women such as constables are ordinarily selected after a physical exam,a written test and an interview. The TRS eliminates the interview,standardises the physical component,and shifts the entire focus to the outcome of a written test. This outcome is monitored independently and biometric devices and biochips are used to prevent fraud and impersonation. The absence of discretion makes it harder for mass rigging.

The bid to improve recruitment at the state level is as welcome as the home ministry’s recent initiative to increase the intake of elite Indian Police Service officers. Reports suggest that existing security personnel,such as from state police cadres,would be recruited to the IPS. The move is a solution to chronic shortage: the ministry revealed last year that they were 557 IPS officers short. Reform in recruitment,at senior and junior levels,will hopefully spur more police reforms — in manpower,machinery and coordination.