Thursday, September 1 2005 16:43 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Keeping in view major changes in the role of policing, Government today (Sept 1, 2005) said it will 'critically examine' the nearly 150-year-old British era law governing the country's police and explore the need for a new act.

"Time has come to critically examine the Indian Police Act, 1861 as to what extent it is meeting the requirement of the present day policing and the need for a new police act," Home Minister Shivraj Patil told the first-ever National Conference of Superintendents of Police, being attended by over 350 district police chiefs, in New Delhi.

Focussing his attention on yet another key area, Patil said the Government will 'vigorously enforce' the law of the land against human rights violations by police personnel.

Observing that gender sensitisation of the police had to be given due attention, Patil said the number of women was also increasing in the force and "Our policy is to reach to at least ten per cent in the next few years."

The Home Minister, who delved on major aspects of policing, said physcial fitness too needed 'urgent attention'.

Giving the example of physical fitness being a 'pre-condition' for promotion in para-military forces, Patil said Ssuch provisions for other police forces will do good to them in discharging their duties and in achieving greater happiness in their personal lives."

The Conference is being held after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stressed on improving grass root governance and interacted with collectors and district magistrates in May this year.

The Home Minister made it clear that the police was expected to be responsive to the needs of the citizens and willingly accept multiple accountability.

"It is quite a tight rope walk. You have done quite satisfactorily so far and I am sure you will do still better in future. The Government will, however, vigorously enforce the law of the land against human rights violations," he told the day-long Conference.

On future threats and measures required to deal with them, Patil said "new methods of terror such a car bombs, nuclear, biological and chemical threats, threats from the air, and threats from the sea particularly to our extended economic zone and to the long coastline are real."

Noting that there were specialised agencies to deal with most of these threats, he said district police is the first that goes into such action if such a situation arises.

"Therefore it is imperative that they are trained and equipped to recognise and deal with these situations."

Elaborating on the multiple challenges on the law and order front, the Home Minister said the situations in Jammu and Kashmir and the North Eastern states "Have shown signs of improvement. But there are areas affected by Naxal violence in several states."

He said the threat of terrorism has spread to many more states and new threats were being posed by fake currency rackets, cyber crimes and other economic crimes.

"The police force has to regularly audit its preparedness to meet these challenges," he said.