GUWAHATI, Oct 13 - The Police Reforms Committee, set up by the government, had suggested a number of recommendations for selection of persons for appointments in the police force way back in 2002, but some key recommendations were not implemented and the State witnessed a major scam in recruitment of Sub Inspectors this year.
The Committee, headed by former DGP N Changkakoti, had stressed the need for selecting the best available persons for appointments in various ranks of the police force and said that the recruitment process should be free from political, personal or corruptive influences.
The Committee gave its recommendations for recruitment in various positions in Assam Police and had pointed out that even a constable enjoys considerable powers of arrest, seizures, etc. The Committee had recommended that every year, the Director General of Police should constitute a selection board headed by a senior DIG, another DIG, one Superintendent of Police, one commandant and a psychologist. The notification for filling up of vacancies should be issued in the first fortnight of July every year so that the selection process can be completed within that year and training of the selected candidates should start in January.
The Committee had prescribed detailed educational qualification, age limit, physical standards, etc., and said that the government or the DGP should have no power to relax the same. The first step should be to conduct endurance and physical efficiency tests and the results of such tests should be declared on the same day. The candidates who clear the physical tests should be allowed to sit for the written test. The question papers should be set in the police headquarters and evaluation of answer scripts should be arranged in such a manner that the identities of candidates remain secret. The names of the candidates with marks secured in the written test should be notified as soon as the result sheet is ready in the examination centres and newspapers, the Committee said.
Those who qualify in the written test should undergo an oral test to be taken by the Board in the district headquarters and other convenient locations and two separate lists of selected candidates for armed and unarmed branches should be prepared. The psychologist member would have to play a key role so that candidates with wrong psychological traits can be rejected.
On selection of candidates for sub inspectors, the Committee pointed out that apart from bigger cities, sub inspectors head the police stations and any weakness in him can lead to serious repercussions. A sub inspector should be professionally competent, politically neutral and a person of unquestionable character.
The Committee recommended that the DGP should constitute a Selection Board every year for selection of candidates as sub inspectors. The Board should be headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police and the other members should be two DIGs, one retired district judge and one psychologist. The Committee also gave detailed recommendations on physical tests and written tests, and said that aptitude tests should be devised by the psychologist member of the Board.
