No shortcut to IPS: Training period 2 years not 5 months

Officers recruited to the Indian Police Service (IPS) through the controversial special examination next month will also have to undergo a two-year training, defeating a key objective of quickly producing IPS officers.

Officers recruited to the Indian Police Service (IPS) through the controversial special examination next month will also have to undergo a two-year training, defeating a key objective of quickly producing IPS officers.

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The Kamal Kumar panel had recommended lateral induction of police officers serving in state police and central police organisations into the IPS, arguing that these officers could quickly occupy vacant IPS posts after training for just 5 months.

Besides, Kumar— who was tasked by home minister P Chidambaram to draw the roadmap to fill IPS vacancies after 26/11 attacks — had pointed that the National Police Academy did not have the capacity to train more than 130 officers.

This was in late 2009.

Over the next two years it was decided to train officers recruited through the special examination along with regular IPS recruits.

This means that officers serving as DSPs in states and assistant commandants of paramilitary forces would have to sit in a class, learning things that they already know.

"This is like buying pre-cooked meals and then, cooking it all over again," a state police service officer said.

A home ministry official said this became necessary due to the government's decision to open the special IPS exam to defence officers including those from the navy and air force.

"Since the defence service officers did not have prior experience in policing, counter-insurgency or law and order, it was decided to put all officers laterally inducted into the IPS through the regular training course," a government source said.

Police officers have already approached various courts against the special examination.