As per data provided by the BPRD, between 2012 to 2022, the total number of vacant posts in the Police forces across the country has consistently exceeded 5 lakhs every year. In 2012, the sanctioned posts numbered 21.2 lakhs, with 15.8 lakhs positions filled, resulting in 5.3 lakh vacancies. By 2022, the number of sanctioned posts had increased to 26.8 lakhs, with 20.9 lakhs actual (filled) posts, leading to 5.95 lakhs vacancies. During this period, the average vacancy rate slightly decreased from 25% to 22%.
The importance of the police for any nation is indisputable, especially in the contemporary world. Each country has its own policing system, with the jurisdiction of police forces extending from local to national and international levels, addressing issues ranging from minor local disputes to international crimes.
Pertinently, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), a body under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in India, defines police as “one of the most ubiquitous organisations of the society. The policemen, therefore, happen to be the most visible representatives of the government. In an hour of need, danger, crisis and difficulty, when a citizen does not know, what to do and whom to approach, the police station and a policeman happen to be the most appropriate and approachable unit and person for him.”
As the most visible arm of the government, the BPRD outlines the roles and functions of the police, including crime prevention, reducing opportunities for crime commission, promoting and preserving public order and peace, and upholding and enforcing the law.
Achieving these crucial objectives depends on various factors such as the total strength of the police force relative to the population, prevailing social issues, crime rates, and other relevant factors. In this story, we look at the issue of vacancies in the police force using data published by BPRD in its annual Data on Police Organizations (DoPO) report.
Methodology and Notes
- The data for this story is sourced from Dataful, which has curated comprehensive datasets on police strength, vacancies, budgets, and several other parameters, based on data published by the BPRD.
- The BPRD publishes data annually, reflecting the status as of the first day of the subsequent year. For instance, data as of 01 January 2022, is published in the 2022 report. In this story, the years referred to denote the data up to January 1 of the same year.
Evolution of BPRD and its Functions
The BPRD was established by the Government of India in 1970 with the aim of promoting the speedy and systematic study of police problems and providing effective training, including the integration of science and technology, to address various social issues.
The same body started initially with two divisions, namely Research, Statistics and Publication, and Development. As of date, it consists of 6 divisions, namely Research & Correctional Administration, Training Division, Modernisation Division, National Police Mission, Administration Division, and Special Police Division.
Over 20% Vacancies in the Police Force Consistently in the last 10 years
India has numerous types of police forces, including civil, armed, reserve, and special police units that address specific issues like crimes against women and children, economic offences, corruption, railway security, and traffic management among other things. The BPRD annually publishes data on the sanctioned and actual strength of these different types of police.
An analysis of data from 2012 to 2022, considering all types of police as a single force, reveals that since 2012, the total number of vacant posts has consistently exceeded 5 lakhs. In 2012, the sanctioned posts numbered 21.2 lakhs, with 15.8 lakh positions filled, resulting in 5.3 lakh vacancies. By 2022, the number of sanctioned posts had increased to 26.8 lakhs, with 20.9 lakhs actual (filled) posts, leading to 5.95 lakh vacancies. During this period, the average vacancy rate slightly decreased from 25% to 22%.
In 2012, the sanctioned and actual civil police posts were 16.9 lakhs and 12.3 lakhs, respectively, resulting in a vacancy rate of 28.5%. When compared to the overall police figures for 2012, these figures represent 79.7% of the total sanctioned posts, 77.7% of the actual posts, and 83.5% of the vacancies.
By 2022, the sanctioned and actual posts for civil police had increased to 18.1 lakhs and 14.1 lakhs, respectively, with a reduced vacancy rate of 21%. Compared to the overall police figures for 2022, the sanctioned, actual, and vacant civil police positions constituted 67.4%, 67.7%, and 66.7%, respectively.
Thus, the average number of vacancies among civil police has also decreased from 28% in 2012 to 21% in 2022.
15 States in each of 2012 and 2022 Have Vacancies Over 20%
In both 2012 and 2022, a total of 15 states had more than 20% of police posts vacant. Uttar Pradesh (UP) and West Bengal had the highest vacancy rates, with 53% and 39% in 2012 and 2022, respectively, while Nagaland had the lowest vacancy rates at 0.35% in 2012 and 1.9% in 2022. In 2012, Jammu and Kashmir had the second-lowest vacancy rate at 6.5%, while Uttarakhand had the second lowest in 2022 at 9.1%.
The top five states with the highest vacancy rates in 2012, excluding the Union Territory of Puducherry, were Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, and Arunachal Pradesh, with vacancy rates of 53%, 44%, 33%, 32%, and 32% respectively. By 2022, these rates among these states had decreased to 26%, 26%, 29%, 16%, and 20%.
In contrast, the top five states with the highest vacancy rates in 2022 were West Bengal, Bihar, Mizoram, Haryana, and Maharashtra, with vacancy rates of 39%, 34%, 33%, 29%, and 26% respectively. Notably, West Bengal, Bihar, Mizoram, and Maharashtra reported an increase in their vacancy rates from 2012, which were 28%, 22%, 7%, and 25%, respectively. Only Haryana saw a reduction, from 33% in 2012 to 29% in 2022, although it remained among the top five states with the highest vacancies in both years.
Thus, the data highlights a lack of uniform progress across the country in reducing police vacancies.
All India Average Number of Police per Lakh Population Increased by 14%
In 2012, India had a total of 15.8 lakh actual police personnel. With a projected population of 120 crores, this is an average of 131 police per lakh population. By 2022, the number of police had increased to 20.6 lakhs, with a projected population of 137 crores, resulting in an average of 153 police per lakh population. This represents a 14% increase in the number of police personnel per lakh population over the decade.
In 2012 and 2022, the highest police personnel per lakh population was found in the northeastern states, which have smaller populations. In 2012, Nagaland had the highest ratio with 1,059 police per lakh population, followed by Mizoram (1,020), Tripura (990), Manipur (842), and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (819). These states had projected populations of approximately 20, 11, 37, 29, and 3 lakhs, respectively. A similar pattern was observed in 2022.
Among states with populations exceeding 5 crores, Tamil Nadu led in 2012 with 140 police per lakh population, followed by Karnataka (133), Maharashtra (120), Rajasthan (111), and Andhra Pradesh (104). Notably, three of the top five states were in southern India. The states with the lowest ratios were West Bengal (60), Bihar (65), and Uttar Pradesh (85).
By 2022, Andhra Pradesh had the highest ratio among states with over 5 crore population, with 167 police per lakh population, followed by Tamil Nadu (154), Karnataka (142), Maharashtra (136), and Uttar Pradesh (133). The states with the lowest ratios in 2022 were Bihar (75), West Bengal (97), and Rajasthan (120).
Vacancies in Police Force are a matter of concern
The data shows that while the average vacancy in the police force has reduced marginally from 25% in 2012 to 22% in 2022, the percentage of vacancies is still high. Further, the state-wise analysis of data also shows that compared to 2012, the share of vacancies has reduced in some states while it increased in other states.
Even when compared by police per lakh population, the bigger states with over 5 crores population have less than 200 police per lakh population. Further, the national average actual police stands only at 152 police per lakh population, which is 70 below the United Nations (UN) standard of 222 police per lakh population. At the same time, as per NCRB, violent crimes have increased from 24 per lakh population in 2013 to 32 in 2022. This increase underscores the urgent need to fill the over 5 lakh police vacancies to improve law enforcement capabilities and address rising crime rates effectively.
