Status of Policing in India Report 2019

Based on a sample survey of 11,834 police personnel across 105 locations in 21 States, the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies has published the “Status of Policing in India Report 2019.”

What does the Report Say?

Extra Hours

• The vast majority of police personnel in India, across gender, rank and contingent, work for more than 14 hours a day without any extra pay.
• Four of every five police personnel surveyed reported that they do not get paid for the overtime work.
• Only about 8% of them reported that they get paid for their overtime work as compared to 4% of the civil police.
• More than half the policemen surveyed reported not getting a weekly off day.

Average Hours of Work

• The average number of hours worked by police personnel in a day was 14 and only 13% of personnel reported average working hours as eight. While 24% of them reported working for more than 16 hours a day.
• The police personnel in Odisha worked 18 hours a day on average. It was the highest among States.
• Police Personnel in states of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand personnel clocked 11 hours. This was the least among big States.

Pay Benefits

• A little more than half of the police personnel surveyed reported that their salary is at par with the kind of work they do.
• 70% of the personnel in Haryana agreed that their pay is on par whereas only 25% said the same in Chhattisgarh.

The report highlights the anomalies faced by the police personnel in terms of a healthy work environment. The policymakers must address the plight of the policemen to maintain the good health of the society