Mukherjee, Baidyanath and Mathew, Meera
Unveiling the tapestry: Navigating police reforms in India
- Economic & Political Weekly
- 61(21), May 23, 2026: p.58-66
India’s police system remains shackled by the colonial-era Police Act, 1861, originally designed for suppression rather than service. Despite community policing and technological advances, comprehensive reform faces resistance from entrenched interests and a culture of impunity. Supreme Court directives have yielded uneven compliance, with some states innovating while others lagging. This paper highlights the need for a new policing model balancing security with accountability, moving beyond colonial foundations towards democratic policing.- Reproduced
https://www.epw.in/journal/2026/21/special-articles/unveiling-tapestry.html