Govt retrieves 6-year-old report ahead of talks on police reforms

NEW DELHI: A month after Justice JSVerma's report about the December 16 gang-rape urged the government to undertake police reforms, the UPA has retrieved from the cold storage a six-year old blueprint on the subject submitted by the VeerappaMoily-headed Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC).

A high-powered ministerial group led by defence minister AK Antony would on Tuesday consider for the first time the ARC's suggestions to make policing more sensitive to gender issues and vulnerable sections and amend the criminal procedure code (CrPC) and Indian evidence laws to ensure victims' rights.

The group of ministers (GoM) had examined the ARC's report on improving public order only once so far, in August 2012. Since many of the recommendations required action from the states, the ministry of home affairs was asked to initiate consultations with states on the subject. "States are taking time to respond to the reform ideas, so it has been decided that the GoM should decide on reforms that can be initiated by the Centre without states' consent," said a senior government official aware of the meeting.

"For amendments to the CrPC and Indian evidence laws, we do need states to come on board, but the Centre can set the tone by formulating a draft for discussions," the official explained.

"The central government can also act on the ARC's suggestions for improvements in forensic sciences, police training and welfare policies and gender sensitization," he said, referring to the GoM's agenda.

Justice JS Verma's report on gender justice and rape laws had a separate chapter on why effective police reforms must be implemented with utmost priority to ensure the safety of women.

The ARC chaired by Moily, who is also a member of the GoM, had called for affirmative action to increase the representation of women in police at all levels so that they constitute 33% of the police force. It had also mooted structured training programmes for sensitizing functionaries in the police and the criminal justice system about gender issues.