Question : SORABJEE COMMITTEE ON POLICE REFORMS

(a) whether the Government has constituted Soli Sorabjee Committee on police reforms; and

(b) if so, the details thereof alongwith the recommendations made by the Committee and the steps taken to implement all the recommendations?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI MULLAPPALLY RAMACHANDRAN)

(a) & (b): The Ministry of Home Affairs appointed a Review Committee to short list those of the recommendations of all the Commissions/Committees on Police Reform which had not been implemented or implemented only partially and to recommend the course of action needed on 21st December, 2004. The Committee short-listed 49 recommendations as being crucial to the process of transforming the police into a professionally competent and service oriented organization and gave report in March, 2005. One of the recommendations of this committee was relating to replace the old Police Act of 1861 with a new Police Act. The Government, accordingly, on 20th September, 2005, appointed a Committee of Experts, which included Shri Soli Sorabjee also, to draft a new Police Act. The said Committee submitted a Model Police Act on 30th October, 2006 which inter-alia included key recommendations like creation of a State Police Board, Security of tenure for the Director General of Police and other key functionaries, earmarking dedicated staff for crime investigation, improved service conditions, etc.

The Model Act emphasized the need to have a professional police ‘service’ in a democratic society, which is efficient, effective, responsive to the needs of the people and accountable to the Rule of Law. The salient features of Model Police Act include encouraging professionalism, accountability, improved service conditions, functional autonomy, etc.

‘Police’ being a State subject as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, the copy of the draft Police Act was sent to all the State Governments on 31st October, 2006 for consideration and appropriate action. As per information available, so far 14 States, namely, States of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand have enacted a new Police Act or amended their existing Police Acts.