Cyber commandos to battle new age cyber threats; fighting a war against drug abuse and narcotics that is threatening to destroy the youth; using integrated artificial intelligence solutions in policing; and making the country’s border villages the first point, instead of the last, are some of the key messages from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the top police brass of the country.
Modi sat through two consecutive days from morning till night during the three-day annual DGP conference on January 20-22 in Delhi, listening to police officers from all states and union territories, who joined the meet in hybrid mode. Modi spoke on the concluding day on Sunday and the police brass was all ears. The roadmap was being laid out as the prime minister was specific, sharp and direct in his approach. He had intently heard the presentations made by all states and central agencies explaining their concerns over the changing security threats across the landscape from Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala and from Gujarat to Arunachal Pradesh.
A day after Home Minister Amit Shah spoke of fourth generation warfare like cyber security and data security being the key internal security challenges, Modi stressed on the need to have cyber warriors who can handle the new age threats. The suggestion becomes significant as most states are not equipped to handle cyber attacks nor is there a national cyber security policy yet to create a centralised command structure. But the finer contours of the suggestion to create cyber commandos will be thrashed out by the MHA in consultation with states, said sources.
Modi is also learnt to have stressed that the biggest threat to the youth of the country today is from the proliferation of drugs which are taking young boys and girls on the path of destruction. The need to fight a war against the narcotics menace was stressed by the prime minister in no uncertain terms. Thirdly, the prime minister wanted the states to understand that to secure the country, the approach must be to fortify the border villages first with infrastructure and connectivity to those far flung areas which are inadvertently treated as the country’s end points. Modi had a different view. It is learnt that he stressed that these border villages are the first points or entry points to the country and hence need to benefit the maximum from infrastructure and development initiatives. The prime minister is also learnt to have talked about road safety of citizens and better traffic management that is only possible through use of artificial intelligence based solutions in policing. The suggestion comes at a time when the country is fast arriving on the global stage, hosting the G20 event, with foreign dignitaries expected to attend 200 meetings across several states. The country has also surpassed China to become the most populous country this year, and effective policing will require AI solutions going forward.
Modi also urged the state police forces to be more sensitive and focus on training in emerging technologies. He spoke of the importance of National Data Governance Framework for smoothening of data exchange across agencies and once again highlighted the need to have enhanced cooperation between state police and central agencies. The prime minister recommended repealing obsolete criminal laws and suggested prison reforms to be taken up urgently. He said while the states should further leverage technological solutions like biometrics, there is also a need to further strengthen traditional policing mechanisms like foot patrol.
The emphasis was on top cops undertaking field visits and one of the recommendations was to replicate the model of the DGPs meet at the state and district level. The challenges in counter insurgency operations and ensuring peace in critical theatres like northeast, left wing extremism affected states and Jammu and Kashmir were the other key issues highlighted at the conference that was also attended by national security advisor Ajit Doval and other heads of central police organisations.
The conference was being hosted at the Pusa Institute where the arrangement was not lavish. There was no dais for dignitaries, rather a round table conference accommodated the prime minister, home minister and the police brass. The DGPs were asked to stay only at the institute and not make private arrangements. Back to back presentations, discussions , interventions were made by both the prime minister and the home minister. Shah was present all three days of the conference. The cops who joined from the states in hybrid mode were interacting simultaneously making it one of the largest meetings of 600 officers of various ranks. While all the DGPs of states and union territories, chiefs of central paramilitary force and intelligence agencies were present at the Pusa Institute in Delhi, the additional director generals of police and other top ranking officers from states joined the conference virtually.
