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