Need training from SHO to DGP level, technology upgradation to implement new criminal laws: Amit Shah at DGP-IGP meet

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday stressed upon the need for training from Station House Officers (SHOs) to the Director General of Police (DGP) level and technology upgradation from Thana to the PHQ level for the successful implementation of new criminal justice laws replacing the IPC, the CrPC and the Evidence Act. Shah emphasised this while inaugurating the 58th Director Generals of Police/Inspector Generals of Police Conference 2023 at the Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur.
The three new criminal justice laws--Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam--got President Droupadi Murmu's assent on December 25, days after they were passed by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
In the conference, the Home Minister also stressed the need for linking databases and adopting an AI-driven analytical approach for tackling emerging security challenges.
Shah underlined the passage of three new criminal laws in 2023, which replaced laws from the British era, and the implementation of a new education plan as two major developments that occurred when the nation entered the Amrit Kal. The Home Minister mentioned that the three new laws are focused on the delivery of justice instead of punishment and the implementation of these laws would transform our criminal justice system into the most modern and scientific. Shah further pointed out an overall improvement in the security scenario in the country since 2014, especially the reduction of violence in the three critical hotspots such as Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East and left-wing extremism.
He also observed that "this conference over the years has emerged as a 'Think Tank', facilitating decision-making and formulation of new security strategies" and emphasised the "uniformity of structures, size and skill of counter-terror mechanisms across the country."
He highlighted the role of internal security in realising the Prime Minister's vision of India becoming a developed nation by 2047.
The Minister further said that the conference would deliberate on a range of security-related issues of critical importance, including security of borders, cyberthreats, radicalization, fraudulent issuance of identity documents and threats emerging from AI.
The three-day conference from January 5 to 7 is being held in hybrid mode, with DGsP/IGsP and Chiefs of Central Police Organisations attending physically from Jaipur and over 500 police officers of various ranks participating through video conferencing from across the country.
At the annual event, the Home Minister distributed Police Medals for Meritorious Service to Intelligence Bureau officers and awarded trophies for the three best police stations. He also paid homage to the personnel of the security forces who had laid down their lives in the service of the nation and commemorated their supreme sacrifice.