Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Statistics & Programme Implementation, Mr. Vijay Goel, recently presented FICCI SMART Policing Awards for 2018 in 18 categories to the representatives of the State Police Forces and Central Armed Police Forces. FICCI SMART Policing Awards were instituted in 2016 to recognise and propagate best practices in policing in India. The awards showcase initiatives taken by the police across the country for the safety and security of citizens. The objective is to change the public perception and build a positive and progressive image of the police forces.
The categories for which the awards were given are: Anti-Insurgency, Border Management, Child Safety, Community Policing, Crime Investigation & Prosecution, Cyber Crime, Disaster Management, Elderly Safety, Emergency Response, Human Trafficking Control, Intelligence Collection, Maritime Security, Road Safety & Traffic Management, Smart Police Station, Surveillance & Monitoring, Training & Capacity Building, Women’s Safety and Other Policing Initiative.
The jury members included Mr. G. K. Pillai, Former Union Home Secretary, Government of India; Ms. Manjari Jaruhar, Former Special DG, CISF, Government of India; Mr. Jayanto N. Choudhury, Former DG, National Security Guard; Mr. Alok Bansal, Director, India Foundation and Dr. Sushma Yadav, Professor of Public Policy & Governance, Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA).
In his address, Mr. Vijay Goel said that the awards should inspire the police personnel in the country to emulate the best policing practices exemplified by the awardees and earn the respect of the public. He said that it was critical to inspire public confidence in the police forces who act as guardians of the society. He suggested that award should be instituted on ‘Public Confidence’ so that people look up to the police personnel and help them perform their duties more effectively.
Mr. Goel also released the FICCI Compendium on Best Practices in SMART Policing 2018.
Home Secretary, Mr. Rajiv Gauba, called for proper and regular risk assessment of cyber-attacks and underlined the need for preparedness to stay ahead and foil the attempts of the cyber criminals. He sought the cooperation and collaboration of the government, law enforcement agencies and the private sector in enhancing the capability to stand up to the threats posed by criminals in the cyberspace.
Advisor, FICCI Committee on Homeland Security and former Home Secretary, Mr. G. K. Pillai, said that awards bode well for the morale of the police forces at the grass-roots level. It was important, he said, to be not just smart, but also focus on training and skills development, monitoring of crime and adherence to protocols at every level.
He recognised that a major problem was the criminal justice system that gave rise to delays in trials and conviction and hoped that the government would pay greater attention to address the issue.
