New Policing and Administrative Systems

            

This fact cannot be overemphasized that our policing and civil administrative systems are redundant. The reasons of redundancy of these institutions are many; politicizing of these institutions is only one of the reasons of ineffectiveness and inefficiency of these institutions. The greater degree of panacea to cure the ills found in these institutions does not lie in de-politicizing these institutions; rather it lies in advanced civil administrative and policing  methodologies and technologies. If these institutions are given complete free hand by de-politicizing them along with their existing inefficiency and corrupt practices, these institutions would become even more hostile to people’s interests. What I mean to say is de-politicization of these institutions should be second or a parallel preference; the first preference should be adoption of advanced policing and administrative methodologies and technologies.

Present regime is focusing on reformation of Police Department and change in police culture. The required change in police culture cannot be brought in by implementing existing disciplinary rules/regulations strictly Or by appointing better experienced and honest police officers Or by providing better infrastructure to police department. All these measures aiming at bringing in change in police culture would be dismally failure until and unless policing methodologies are changed; new policing methodology must be based on advanced investigative and law and order related skills coupled with advanced technology/tools.  In order to pursue new policing methodology, police officers/staff need to be trained in new investigative and law and order skills based on advanced technology and tools. This is a medium term process which may be completed in a period spanning from three to six years- depending upon the scale on which training programme is pursued and required modern tools are procured.  For the purpose joint ventures in this regard may be initiated with training institutes of advanced friendly states like China, Turkey etc. Collection of evidence from crime scene may be restricted to investigation wing only which should be trained in forensic based investigation. New policing based on advanced investigative and law and order skills basing on advanced technology/tools would bring about desired change in police culture. In other words, it is not present Police which may bring about change in police culture; rather it would be better policing which may change the face of Police Department.

Similarly civil administration methodology also needs to be changed. We have already seen in my article “Institutionalization of Positive Social Systems” that positive state institutions may be built up by coupling state institution with non-state institution. Non-state institutions are such institutions which do not have under law any  power/role in state decision-making. One model of such civil administrative institution based on state and non-state institutional collaboration may be constructed in local governments.

In local governments majority of the members/councilors are elected without any specific qualification/experience. In order to couple district state institutions with non-state institutions, councilors/members of local bodies may be elected with the view to oversee working of specific district state institutions. For instance to oversee district education offices/institutions, candidates with only relevant qualification/experience may be elected; similarly for district institutions relating to engineering works; health; revenue; police; labor; and other district institutions, candidates having relevant qualification/experience may be elected and entrusted with responsibility of overseeing the working of respective district institutions. It may be noted that such elected members/councilors of local bodies would act as non-state institutions (though local bodies are not non-state institutions because they have legal powers in respect of state decision-making, the writer is proposing that councilors entrusted with responsibility of overseeing district state institutions would not have any legal power/role in decision-making of district state institutions and as such they would act as non-state institution). Such councilors should not be nominated by the government. What the writer is proposing is essentially different from what present regime is proposing in respect of proposed District Education and Health Authorities and including in such Authorities private members from civil society. My proposal envisages such councilors/members overseeing working of district institutions, which would not have any legal authority/role in decision-making of the respective district institutions, nor would such councilors/members be appointed by the government.

The elected local bodies’ councilors/members entrusted with responsibility of overseeing the working of district state institutions should have access to all record of the concerned district institutions; such councilors may also provide necessary inputs to respective district institutions for decision-making, and report any mal-administration to the  supervisory authority of the district institution for taking corrective measures. There should also be an Office of District Mohtasib. If required corrective measures are not taken by the concerned supervisory authority, the elected councilors may take the matter to the District Mohtasib along with all relevant record. District Mohtasib’s decision would be binding on all concerned authorities.

We may conclude that in order to improve service delivery, our police and civil administrative institutions need fresh methodologies. Local bodies may play vital role in assisting state institutions in adopting fresh methodologies. Present regime should organize and erect local bodies in the way suited to help state institutions change their methodologies of service delivery.