The Karnataka Home Department has formed three committees to review police services, modernisation and recruitment rules, with each panel headed by a retired director general of police and instructed to submit its report within two months. The move is intended to improve the quality, speed, transparency and public-friendliness of police services across the state.
Home Minister Priyank Kharge said the comprehensive police services reform committee would examine the services currently available to the public, including complaint registration, filing of first information reports, police station functioning, emergency services, reports involving lost property, cybercrime complaints, permissions and certificates. These services are provided both online and directly through police offices and stations.
The committee will review their quality, availability, adherence to timelines and ease of access for citizens. It will also examine community-based policing systems with the objective of strengthening direct communication between the police and the public. The panel is chaired by retired director general of police R.K. Dutta. Its members are R. Hitendra, Prabhu Raj, Sanjeev M. Patil, Mohammed M. and Sujeet, all identified in the report as IPS officers.
A separate police modernisation committee will examine how the department can prepare for future challenges and improve operational efficiency through the appropriate use of modern technology. Its terms include reviewing emergency response systems, control rooms and the possibility of upgrading the 112 emergency service.
The panel will also study the strengthening of forensic laboratories, the possible use of artificial intelligence, and the establishment of police training academies at state and regional levels. Retired director general of police M.N. Reddy will chair the committee. Its members are S. Murugan, A. Subrahmanyeshwara Rao, Divya V. Gopinath and C.B. Rishyant, who are identified as IPS officers.
Kharge said police modernisation should not be limited to purchasing new equipment. He said it requires an integrated approach covering technology, human resources, training, infrastructure, communication systems and citizen services. The committee’s remit therefore extends beyond physical equipment to the systems that support emergency response, investigation, training and public interaction.
The third panel has been formed to review recruitment rules amid recurring allegations of irregularities in departmental recruitment. It will examine the department’s cadre structure, classification and number of posts, as well as recruitment rules, in relation to workload, changing responsibilities and future requirements.
The recruitment and eligibility criteria will be reviewed, along with training and capacity-building systems. The committee will also examine recruitment according to population, the design of police posts in relation to reservation requirements, and the strengthening of the Karnataka Police Academy in Mysuru and other training units.
Retired director general of police Kamal Pant will chair the recruitment rules committee. Its members are Soumendu Mukherjee, Chetan Singh Rathod, Kuldeep Kumar and R. Jain, identified in the report as IPS officers. All three committees have been given two months to study their respective areas and submit recommendations to the Home Department.
