Police Reforms: India
Police Reforms: Too Important to Neglect, Too Urgent to Delay

Summary of Ribeiro Committee's Recommendations

First Report (October 1998)

1. A Security Commission should be set-up in each State consisting of the Minister in charge of Police as the Chairman, the Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Secretary of the State, a sitting or retired judge nominated by the Chief Justice of the State's High Court and three other non-political citizens of proven merit and integrity as members. These three citizens should be chosen by a committee to be set-up by the Chairman of the NHRC, which has taken much interest in the establishment of this proposed institution.
2. The name of the Commission should be "The Police Performance and Accountability Commission." (PPAC).
3. The four non-political members of this Commission excluding the Chief Secretary, should hold office for three years after which they will be replaced by persons of equal merit chosen in the same manner.
4. The Commission will have advisory and recommendatory powers for the present. The State's DGP will be its Secretary and Convenor.
5. The Commission will oversee the performance of the Police and ensure that it is accountable to the law of the land. Its functions will be as spelt out by the NPC in para 15.48 of their report. In addition, it will ensure that no premature transfers of officers of the rank of SP and above are made without prior clearance from the Commission and that transfers are made only by the authority competent under the rules to do so.
6. Besides the Commission, a District Police Complaints Authority will be set up in each Police District as a non statutory body to examine complaints from the public of police excesses, arbitrary arrests and detention, false implications in criminal cases, custodial violence, etc and to make appropriate recommendations to the Police Performance and Accountability Commission, as well as to the Government and to the State or National Human Rights Commission. The Principal District and Sessions Judge, the Collector of the district and the SSP should constitute this authority.
7. In every State, a Police Establishment Board should be constituted with the DGP and his four senior-most officers, borne on the IPS cadre of the State but who are immediately junior to the DGP, as members to monitor all transfers, promotions, rewards and punishments as well as other service related issues. The Board should be given the legal authority to discharge its duties by amending the relevant Rules.
8. Rules should be framed by the Government on transfers, tenures, promotions, rewards and punishments and the police authorities designated to administer these rules. Any departure from these norms and rules will be brought to the notice of the PPAC.
9. The DG of Police will be selected by the Chief Minister of the State from a panel of three names prepared by a Committee headed by the Chairman of the UPSC and consisting of the Union Home Secretary, the Director of Intelligence Bureau, the State's Chief Secretary and the State's incumbent DGP. This selection committee may consult the CVC before drawing up a panel. The DGP will have fixed tenure of three years. He can be removed within the period of tenure only on the recommendations of the PPAC and for specified reasons, made in writing to the Government.
10. The investigation wing of the Police will be insulated from undue pressure if the DGP is selected in the manner prescribed above and given a tenure and also if the PPAC discharges its role of overseeing police performance and ensuring accountability. All investigating officers should be specially trained in scientific methods of investigation and not utilised for law & order duties except in small rural police stations where it may not be possible to strictly demarcate the two important police functions. The investigating officers should not be shifted to law and order or other duties for five years at least.

Second Report (March 1999)

1. The NPC had recommended that there should be a State Security Commisssion at the Centre. There is no need for such an institution at the central level. In case of CBI, the Supreme Court has already given directions. The IB is an intelligence organisation and the BSF and the CRPF are para-military outfits which do not involve themselves with local politics and politicians.
2. The Central Police Committee as recommended by the NPC in its Seventh Report should be constituted.
3. The old Police Act of 1861 needs to be replaced by a new Police Act.
4. The Vohra Committee had recommended the establishment of a Nodal Cell in the Ministry of Home Affairs to deal with the problem of nexus between crime syndicates, political leaders, government functionaries and others. It is learnt that such a cell is already operative but how far it has succeeded in its endeavour is not known to our Committee.
5. The recommendations of the Law Commission about insulating the investigative functions of the police from its law and order work should be implemented urgently.
6. The recommendations of the NPC about recruitment, training and welfare of the constabulary should be implemented.
7. The minimum educational qualifications for recruitment to the level of Constable should be Higher Secondary.
8. The NPC had recommended the reorganisation of the hierarchy of the police , with an increase in the strength at middle levels of ASI/SI/Inspector to be offset by reducing numbers at the lower levels of constabulary. This would improve promotion opportunities of lower ranks. We endorse the recommendations of the NPC.
9. Every State should establish an independent Police Recruitment Board and entrust to it the task of recruitment of all non-gazetted ranks.
10. A qualitative change in the training being imparted in police training institutions is imperative to improve performance and behaviour of the police.