Govt. to spend ₹24,000 crore to modernise police force

1. At a Glance

• Centre informed the Supreme Court it has begun implementing a ₹24,000-crore "Police Modernisation Mission" to be spent over the next five years [1].
• Aims to strengthen internal security capabilities of State Police forces and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) through greater technology use [1].
• Submission made in a suo motu proceeding monitoring compliance with the 2021 CCTV judgment — links police-tech modernisation to judicial oversight of policing reform, a recurring GS-II/III theme [1].
• Builds on the pre-existing "Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF)" umbrella scheme, run by MHA since the 1970s, with a 2021-26 outlay of ₹26,275 crore [2][3].

2. Why in the News

• On Thursday, 3 September 2026, Additional Solicitor-General Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakare, representing the Centre, told a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the ₹24,000-crore Police Modernisation Mission had begun implementation [1].
• Statement made during a suo motu case the Supreme Court initiated in 2025 after media reports flagged non-functional CCTV cameras at police stations in Udaipur [1].

3. Background & Evolution

• 2021: SC delivered judgment in Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh, mandating CCTV installation at "key locations" in police stations — including lock-ups, corridors, and rooms of Inspectors/Sub-Inspectors — with footage retention of up to 18 months [1][4].
• Court had directed compliance reports from the Centre, States, and Union Territories to monitor implementation [1].
• 2025: SC took suo motu cognizance of continued non-compliance (Udaipur CCTV non-functionality report) and sought fresh status updates [1].
• 2026 (3 Sept): Centre responds by informing the Court of the newly rolled-out ₹24,000-crore Police Modernisation Mission, positioning it as the technology/infrastructure response to persistent police-station-level gaps [1].
• Predecessor: Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) umbrella scheme — Cabinet-approved continuation for 2021-22 to 2025-26 with total outlay of ₹26,275 crore, covering State police modernisation and forensic capacity building [2][3].

4. Core Static Facts

5. Multi-Dimensional Analysis

Administrative

• Police is a State subject (List II, 7th Schedule); Centre's role is funding/technology support, creating a Centre-State implementation split typical of MPF-type schemes [2].
• Historically, MPF-type schemes have faced underutilisation of funds and slow State-level compliance — a key implementation bottleneck.

Legal/Constitutional

• Directly linked to judicial enforcement of right to life and personal liberty (Article 21) via prevention of custodial violence — the rationale behind mandatory CCTV surveillance in the 2021 judgment [1][4].
• Demonstrates continuing mandamus — SC retaining oversight through periodic compliance reporting rather than a one-time direction [1].

Scientific/Technological

• Mission emphasises greater use of technology for internal security — likely covers CCTV networks, forensic upgradation, communication and surveillance infrastructure [1][2].

Governance/Ethical

• Addresses accountability gaps in policing (custodial deaths, lock-up transparency) — police modernisation framed as a governance-transparency tool, not merely equipment upgrade [1][4].

Economic

• Large multi-year central outlay (₹24,000 crore) represents significant fiscal commitment to internal security infrastructure, cost-shared with States in MPF-type schemes [2].

6. Recent Developments (last 12-18 months)

• 2025: SC took suo motu cognizance of CCTV non-compliance after Udaipur media report [1].
• 3 September 2026: Centre's ASG informs SC Bench (Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta) of the ₹24,000-crore Police Modernisation Mission's implementation start [1].

7. Prelims Hooks

• Police Modernisation Mission outlay: ₹24,000 crore, spread over 5 years [1].
• Targets both State Police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) [1].
• Announced to the SC by Additional Solicitor-General Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakare [1].
• SC Bench hearing the matter: Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta [1].
• Underlying case: Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh — decided 2021, reported as (2021) 1 SCC 184 [1][4].
• 2021 judgment mandated CCTV installation at police stations, including lock-ups and rooms of Inspectors/Sub-Inspectors [1].
• Suo motu proceeding on CCTV non-compliance initiated by SC in 2025, triggered by a report on Udaipur police stations [1].
• Predecessor umbrella scheme: Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF), administered by Ministry of Home Affairs [2].
• MPF scheme's 2021-26 outlay: ₹26,275 crore (distinct from the new ₹24,000-crore Mission) [2][3].
• Police is a State List subject under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution [2].
• MPF also funds a sub-scheme for Modernisation of Forensic Capacities (₹2,080.50 crore) [2].

8. Mains Relevance

• GS-II: Polity & Governance — "Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors"; "Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive"; judiciary's role via continuing mandamus.
• GS-III: Internal Security — "Role of police reforms"; use of technology in internal security management.
• Possible question stems: 1. Discuss the significance of the Police Modernisation Mission in the context of persistent gaps in implementation of the Supreme Court's directions on CCTV surveillance in police stations. 2. Police reforms in India remain hostage to Centre-State jurisdictional divisions despite repeated judicial intervention. Examine with reference to the Paramvir Singh Saini judgment and subsequent Central schemes. 3. Evaluate the role of the judiciary in enforcing accountability in policing through continuing mandamus, citing recent Supreme Court proceedings on police modernisation.

9. Related Topics to Study Next

• Police reforms in India (Prakash Singh vs Union of India, 2006) — foundational SC judgment on police reform, useful comparative precedent.
• Custodial violence and Article 21 — constitutional basis for surveillance mandates in police stations.
• Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) Scheme — the long-running MHA umbrella scheme this Mission builds upon.
• Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) — structure, mandate, and modernisation needs.
• Forensic infrastructure in India — National Forensic Sciences University, DNA Technology Bill.
• Continuing mandamus as a judicial remedy — compare with environmental and prison-reform cases.
• Federalism and policing — State List entries vs Centrally sponsored schemes.

10. Common Errors / Trap Areas

• Do not confuse the new ₹24,000-crore Police Modernisation Mission (2026) with the older MPF umbrella scheme's ₹26,275-crore (2021-26) outlay — they are distinct figures/schemes [1][2].
• The CCTV mandate originates from Paramvir Singh Saini vs Baljit Singh (2021), not the 2006 Prakash Singh police reforms case — aspirants often conflate the two SC rulings.
• Police modernisation funding is Centre-State shared, not fully Central; MPF historically split Centre:State shares (e.g., ₹18,636 cr Centre : ₹6,424 cr States in the 2017-19 phase) [2].
• Note the current proceeding is a suo motu case (court-initiated), not a PIL filed by a private party.
• Nodal ministry is MHA, not the Ministry of Law and Justice, despite the matter being litigated in the Supreme Court.