Gorakhpur’s women recruits expose a broken system

THE protest by nearly 600 women recruits of the UP Police at PAC, Police Training Centre, Gorakhpur, raises questions about the state of training infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. The recruits, from diverse backgrounds, including some disadvantaged ones, joined the training with lofty ideals of donning the uniform to take on crime and criminals in the state. Unfortunately, they had such an unpalatable first experience that they had to take the extreme step of resorting to a protest, something unheard of in uniformed services, particularly in a training institution.

Their concerns appear genuine, including cramped accommodation, lack of sanitation, electricity, water and hygienic food and the presence of CCTV cameras in the washroom areas. The women were also incensed by a departmental circular mandating pregnancy tests for all recruits, married or otherwise.

In response to this crisis, the state government suspended a senior officer involved in the training and sent several senior officers to quell the disquiet and address the concerns.

Suspension is merely for public optics. It does not address the malaise or the lack of preparedness to undertaking the task of training so many recruits at mostly makeshift training centres.

Not long ago, UP had prided itself on recruiting 60,000 young men and women to its police force. It was the largest such recruitment by any country. The process was completed successfully, utilising technology, human resources and infrastructure, without any allegations of unfair practices or corruption. The appointment letters were distributed with much fanfare by the Union Home Minister in the presence of the Chief Minister.

The UP Police website claims to have over three lakh personnel. Such a massive recruitment drive also highlights the state’s inability to hold recruitments regularly so as to contain vacancies within manageable limits without impacting day-to-day policing and service delivery.

It is sad that in our country, recruitment is used as an electoral tool to garner votes. Vacancies are deliberately allowed to mount and recruitments take place just before the Assembly elections. Such practices undermine cadre management, training and promotion of the staff.

Uttar Pradesh has recruited a large number of constables in the past. They converted their armed battalions into temporary training centres. All states and central paramilitary forces also resort to this practice when faced with large intakes. The commencement of training, however, is preceded by a thorough stocktaking of available infrastructure and logistics.

This exercise becomes all the more relevant given that around 12,000 women need to be housed and trained in a safe and enabling environment. It is not confirmed whether an audit of the available accommodation, including toilets and bathrooms, kitchens, dining halls, classrooms, outdoor training fields, equipment, dummy weapons, qualified instructors, CCTNS labs and support staff, was conducted, or what efforts were made to augment the facilities.

I recall that when the Himachal Police was required to train a newly sanctioned Mahila India Reserve battalion, the police headquarters did extensive consultations with several officers and trainers. A lady IPS officer was handpicked to supervise their training. Women trainers, supervisory staff and support staff were identified and posted to the new location. Extra infrastructure was created to suit the requirements of the women trainees. Not a single murmur of discontent was heard during their training.

Besides the physical training, the department is also responsible for equipping the police personnel with the professional and soft skills, resilience, empathy, courage and wisdom needed to tackle the modern-day challenges of crime, criminals and complainants. This is crucial for the effective functioning of the force. Good training is like laying a solid foundation for 30-to-35 years of a career in khaki.

Police training academies for officers have transformed into centres of excellence in learning in the police craft. However, the same cannot be said of the training facilities for the junior ranks. Their job profiles and training facilities remain archaic, embedded in the colonial past. A rejuvenation of their roles, accompanied by commensurate training inputs and infrastructure, is needed.

The Gorakhpur protests highlight UP’s inadequacy in creating gender-inclusive institutions. Other states may report similar shortfalls. As the percentage of women in the police increases to meet the target of 33 per cent, the infrastructure must undergo an overhaul in the training and work ecosystems, ensuring a sense of security, dignity, inclusiveness and respect.

Aside from punitive measures, the state must take the corrective and more meaningful step of building adequate infrastructure, logistics and capacity. Even if it means suspending the training of women recruits for a few months, this action is crucial to preventing such incidents in the future.

The uproar among women recruits presents a significant opportunity for the force to identify and address gaps in infrastructure, capacity, supervision and grievance redress. It is also a chance to review policies, such as the installation of CCTVs, and address the privacy concerns of women personnel. This opportunity for systemic improvements should be embraced with optimism and determination. The other states can also learn from the Gorakhpur incident and upgrade their infrastructures accordingly.

Over the past few years, the UP Police have earned a good name. They should build on this culture by taking the frustration and anger of their newest recruits constructively. The positive reputation should serve as a source of pride and motivation for the force to continue with its good work.

Somesh Goyal is ex-DGP, Himachal Pradesh.

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