By Bhagirathi Jena
The silhouette of the Indian policeman, once a symbol of colonial coercion, is gradually being reshaped into an emblem of digital-age assurance, and this transformation is not merely cosmetic but structural, systemic, and measurable—precisely as the vision of SMART policing demands. As India stands at the crossroads of technological revolution and internal security challenges, the integration of AI into predictive policing offers both unprecedented opportunities and profound responsibilities, and the question is no longer whether to embrace these tools but how to wield them without surrendering the human essence of justice.
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The Police Act of 1861 was never designed to serve the public; it was engineered to subjugate, and for over 160 years its DNA has haunted Indian policing, making it reactive rather than preventive, adversarial rather than protective, and opaque rather than accountable. It is here that the Central government’s emphasis on SMART policing—Strict and Sensitive, Modern and Mobile, Alert and Accountable, Reliable and Responsive, and Tech-enabled and Trained—represents a conscious and welcome rupture from this colonial legacy.
Between 2014 and 2024, the Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) Scheme has received over Rs 20,000 crore in Central funding, accelerating the establishment of cyber forensic laboratories, women’s cells, and child-friendly police spaces across the country, while the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) now connects more than 15,000 police stations nationwide, creating a digital spine that a colonial-era force never possessed.
In this national renaissance, certain states are awakening to realities that demand a paradigm shift in policing. Odisha, for instance, is soon going to be a major hub for maritime trade and industrial activities, with its strategic access to Southeast Asia, East Asia, and the Indo-Pacific region positioning it as a cornerstone of India’s global trade architecture and supply chain diversification. As city-state expansion befitting an industry-driven economy emerges—bringing activities of myriad hues—the need for a befitting law and order infrastructure and a modern policing ecosystem becomes urgent.
It is in this context that the recent conferment of the Presidential Colour upon Odisha Police is a timely acknowledgment, but the broader story is one of systemic redefinition: India’s internal security architecture is being rebuilt through strengthened intelligence coordination, massive infrastructure investment, and a deliberate shift from a colonial force model to a citizen-centric, welfare-oriented service. With the emergence of disruptive technologies, AI-based predictive policing to identify crime hotspots is gaining currency, enabling sharper deployment of patrol personnel on the ground while also assisting disaster management agencies in anticipating crowd behaviour and resource needs during emergencies.
Disaster management remains the ultimate test of any modern police force, and climate-vulnerable regions across India demonstrate that policing is not merely about crime but about survival. During cyclones on the eastern coast or floods in the western and southern states, police forces have increasingly leveraged the same communication networks and coordination protocols used for counter-terrorism operations.
The integration of police command centres with disaster management authorities, supported by satellite imagery and AI-based damage prediction models, has consistently reduced response times in affected zones. Recognising this, the Central government has allocated over Rs 1,000 crore specifically for training and equipment under the Disaster Management Fund for police forces in coastal, border, and flood-prone states.
GPS-enabled patrol vehicles, rapid response bikes, and systems integrated with command centres already support disaster management and terror response in several pilot projects. A proper blend of technology with accountability and public trust, shifting from reactive policing to a proactive, data-driven, and citizen-centric approach, if implemented effectively, will serve as a template for policing reform in our great democracy, spearheaded by our able leaders.
The protectee must be protected both overtly and covertly; police stations must be transformed into modern, citizen-friendly centres; and infrastructure investment matched with compassion and professionalism remains the need of the hour. That is SMART policing. That is the republic’s promise to its people. And with accountable leadership and prudent technological integration, that promise can finally be fulfilled.
The writer is a Senior Officer at the Parliament of India.
