Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the Dikshant Parade of IPS Probationers

It gives me immense pleasure to witness the Passing Out parade of the Indian Police Service (IPS) Probationers at the National Police Academy, which is the premier police training institution in our country.

The ‘Passing Out Parade’ marks a momentous occasion in the life of an officer. These are moments of pride and accomplishment. I extend my warm congratulations to all the officer trainees on their successful completion of the challenging training curricula and prior to that of passing a very difficult competitive examination which speaks of your academic excellence.

I am happy that the participants in this parade include 04 officers from the Royal Bhutan Police Service, 03 from the Maldives Police Service and 05 from the Nepal Police Service. I extend a very warm welcome to them. I am sure the bonds forged during the training will further strengthen the relations between our friendly nations. It is also noteworthy that there are 25 lady police officers in this batch. I congratulate you and welcome you to the elite Indian Police Service.

This is my second visit to the National Police Academy. In 1993, I visited this Academy as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. Sardar Vallabhai Patel, India’s first Home Minister created the All India Services with a great expectation. At the dawn of our Independence in 1947, Sardar Patel advised young officers (and I quote) – "Above all I would advise you to maintain the utmost impartiality and incorruptibility in administration. A Civil Servant cannot afford to, and must not take part in politics. Nor must he involve himself in communal wrangles. To depart from the path of rectitude in either of these respects is to debase public service and to lower the dignity. Similarly, no service worth the name can claim to exist if it does not have in view the achievement of the highest standard of integrity.” (Unquote).If these words were relevant 67 years ago, these are relevant now and will continue to remain relevant for the future.

I compliment the officers of the Indian Police Service for their commitment, dedication, sincerity and willingness to make the supreme sacrifice in the cause of the nation. As far as the Police forces in the country are concerned, there is no room whatsoever for Complacency. The nation has great expectations from you.

My vision of the Police for future India is not that of only a law enforcing body, but of a pro-active service provider, a partner in growth, development and peace. As police officers, you should always ensure that the grievances of the common man are redressed. This would require a change of role of the police from a reactive to a pro-active agency, which, in partnership with other stake holders will create a peaceful and secure atmosphere conducive to the growth and prosperity of our nation. I expect from you the highest degree of professionalism at all times and consistent efforts to ensure that the rule of law is enforced in letter and spirit.

Police Constables are the visible face of Government and therefore enough attention should be paid for their training and development and improvement in their service conditions. Inculcating in them the highest degree of discipline, integrity and commitment is absolutely necessary. They are the cutting-edge of your work force and the image of the Police overall depends on their conduct, behaviour and professionalism. The public forms an opinion about the quality of governance based on the response and efficiency of policemen at the grass roots level.

These are challenging times for our police forces. There has been a worrying bout of communal violence in some parts of our country, accompanied by deterioration in inter-community relations. There is need to strengthen the ability of our district and local Administration to notice such tensions in their initial stages and take necessary measures to contain them quickly.

Atrocities against women and children have also grabbed public attention and shaken the conscience of our nation in recent times. The Government of India has enacted a path-breaking legislation, the ‘Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act’, which provides for stringent punishment for persons who commit or abet such offences. The Government has also introduced the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Bill, 2012 in Parliament. The Justice J.S. Verma Committee has made a number of important recommendations which are under the active consideration of the Government. Effective policing of our urban areas, especially the metropolitan cities and protecting the vulnerable requires urgent attention of our police forces. The Justice Verma Committee has reiterated the importance of overall police reforms in the country. It is essential that we make progress in this regard, taking on board all concerned stake holders. I am happy to know that the Academy is emphasising ‘Sensitization Orientation Training’ focused on vulnerable sections, underprivileged, women, children, minorities, Dalits etc.I congratulate them for this initiative.

Our country has made progress in many fields. However, the success of the Government’s plans to strengthen the economy and ensure social justice through various welfare schemes depends critically on the maintenance of law and order. There is a need to provide a safe and secure environment for the successful implementation of the people oriented schemes of the Government of India.

India continues to be targeted by terrorism from abroad, as well as threats from within, to our internal security. The Government is committed to dealing with Left Wing Extremism in a comprehensive manner. It is pursuing a two- pronged approach of conducting proactive and sustained operations against extremists and focusing attention on development and governance issues in extremist affected areas. While we must meet these challenges head on and address them with determination and persistence, the actions of our police forces must respect the human rights of our people and the letter and spirit of our Constitution.

I am sure that with motivated, self confident and sensitive leadership, our police forces can and will effectively deal with the challenges before the nation. I am confident that each one of you, the latest entrants into the Indian Police Service will provide exemplary leadership to the men and women you will command and do our country proud in the coming years.

My good wishes to you all once again.

Thank you. 
Jai Hind.