History of IPS

Indian Police Service(IPS) 

History 

Police in India - origin - Vedic period. 

Organisation - watch and ward - bringing evil-doers to justice - in existence - one form or other - differed according to the development of society - functions and duties - limited in scope in early times - increased with population and means of communication. 

Police - independent unit in the State administration - introduced by the British - 1861 - Police Act - need for a common pattern of police organisation and properly trained and disciplined body of men exclusively devoted to the prevention and detection of crime - police system on a provisional basis - Inspector General as the head of the provincial police administration - provinces - divided into districts - Superintendents of Police - heads of the police administration under the control of Magistrates. 

Further improvements - recommendations of the Police Commission of 1902-03. 

Indian Police Service - took time to acquire the designation - 1890s and later - known as the Imperial branch of the colonial police service - officers of the Imperial service wore shoulder badges of their Provinces: e.g., "P.P." for Punjab, "B.P" for Bengal. 

1907 - the Secretary of State in London - directed officers to wear the "I.P." - epaulettes to distinguish from the Deputy Superintendents of Police - new rank - starting point for Indian Police Service - another 10 years - officially known as the Indian Police Service. 

Referred - first time - by designation - 1917 - Islington Commission Report. 

1932 - ‘Service’ - dropped from designation - as demanded by the Indian Police Association - simpler designation - "Indian Police" - again officially adopted - till independence. 

After independence - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel - first Union Home Minister - no democratic government effective - without a proper, well-organised, well-educated, well-disciplined, well-paid and independent civil service to carry out its will and to advice it on how to give its policies concrete and practical shape - saw the importance of organising the civil services on all-India basis - Central Government - say in their recruitment, training and career - counter-balance to emergent centrifugal forces - threat to unity and integrity of India. 

October 10, 1949 - Constituent Assembly - Sardar Patel - emphasized the importance of having a ring of services - help the country remain intact under a Federal Constitution - "… the Union will go, you will not have a united India, if you have not a good All India Service, which has the independence to speak out its mind…". 

Indian Police Service born - as an All India Service - successor service to the I.P. 

Recruitment 

After 1860 - recruitment of senior police officers - done in two ways- appointing officers from the British Army - nomination from among younger sons of landed gentry in UK. 

1893 - nomination system abolished - Army source discontinued - recruitment of officers through a combined competitive examination - held in London for the Indian Police Service - candidates - top of the merit list - appointed as Assistant Superintendents of Police - Provincial Governments - permitted to recruit some officers directly - common examination - conducted separately - domiciled Europeans only - superior police service - exclusively European service. 

Later - as in other civil services - recruitment to the IPS allowed for the Indians. 

Today - recruitment made through the Combined Civil Services Examination promotion from SPS - conducted annually - by the Union Public Service Commission. 

All India Service of the Union - Article 312 - Constitution of India. 

Ministry of Home affairs - cadre-controlling authority - dealing with appointment, training, fixation of seniority & pay, and deputation. 

Probationers recruited - undergo - very tough basic training course - all aspects of physical/academic/arms/other activities - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA), Hyderabad - successful completion - confirmed in service - assigned to various State or U.T. cadres. 

January 1, 2004 - total cadre strength - 3666. 

Career in the IPS - full of opportunities - within the service - deputation outside the service within India and abroad - challenges - variety. 

Training Courses for the IPS

1. BASIC COURSE FOR I.P.S PROBATIONERS -PHASE-I – 44 Week Course 

Objectives: To introduce the Indian Police Service Probationer for life in the Police and his role as a leader of Police forces ; initially at the sub division and district levels . 

2. BASIC COURSE FOR I.P.S PROBATIONERS -PHASE-II – 1 Week Course

Objectives: To prepare Indian Police Service Probationers to work as Sub–Divisional Police Officers and Superintendents of Police and subsequently to take up leadership positions in more senior levels.

3. LEVEL-I MANAGEMENT COURSE – 4 Week Course 

Objectives: To enable the participants to study the internal and external environment in which police force functions; analyse problems encountered on ground through experience sharing; evolve strategies and individual action plans to tackle them; and identify knowledge and skills needed for implementation of action plan. 

4. LEVEL-II MANAGEMENT COURSE – 3 Week Course 

Objectives: To enable the participants to examine the internal and external factors affecting the work environment with a view to evolving strategies for improving performance; understand their pattern of behaviour and its impact on others and to improve their effectiveness in inter-personal interaction; avail opportunities for introspection with reference to organisation, leading to awareness of the need for organisational development and also to sharpen their managerial skills; and develop operational frame of reference for evolving effective leadership styles at different levels. 

5. LEVEL-III MANAGEMENT COURSE – 2 Week Course 

Objectives : To enable the participants to understand self and team which govern decision making; understand the environment within which he/ she operates and how he/ she could be a catalyst; and formulate strategies for development 

6. BASIC MANAGEMENT COURSE – 3 Week Course 

Objectives : To enable the participants to analyse the problems faced by the officers in the filed and to explore alternative strategies for tackling them; and perform the duties of a Superintendent of Police. 

7. INDUCTION TRAINING COURSE FOR S.P.S. OFFICERS – 6 Week Course 

Objectives : To enable the participants to acquire an all-India perspective as is expected of a member of the Indian Police Service; understand the ethos of the Indian Police Service as well as the role of the Central Police Organisations and the Army in the context of internal security; develop state of the art skills for public order management and investigation; appreciate Human Rights issues and the role of police; and comprehend latest trend/ development in the police profession at the national and global levels.