Internal security big challenge before $5 trn economy target: Amit Shah

Shah exhorted the police forces to take proactive steps towards improving their image among the public through behavioural and professional changes

Internal security posed the biggest challenge before the target of India becoming a $5 trillion economy by 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Friday.

Without naming any foreign country, Shah noted there were powers attempting to impede the country’s path towards the $5 trillion vision by unleashing cyber attacks, fake currency menace, law and order disturbances etc.

He was addressing the valedictory ceremony of the two-day 47th All India Police Science Congress in Lucknow jointly organised by Uttar Pradesh Police and Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD).

“India presents a huge global market of 130 crore people and today we rank among the top 7 world economies compared to the 11th position 5 years back. We aim to break among the top 3 global economies by 2024 and hit the $5 trillion economy mark,” he said while calling upon the state police forces to forge better coordination with each other and central agencies for effective policing and improving their conviction rates.

Shah noted although the law and order was the state subject under the federal structure of the Indian Constitution, yet the home ministry had the mandate of creating a framework of coordination among different law enforcement agencies for maintaining internal security.

He referred to various forms of crimes including cyber attacks, fake currency, naxalism, terrorism, human trafficking, smuggling, infiltration etc to raise the spectre of internal security challenge before the Centre and the states.

“India has vast international border spanning 15,000 km apart from 7,500 km coastline, while there are unabated attempts to disturb peace in the country,” Shah said while mentioning that nearly 35,000 police personnel had laid down their lives across the states to provide the sense of security to common man.

Shah exhorted the police forces to take proactive steps towards improving their image among the public through behavioural and professional changes.

“More than the police reforms, what is needed today is policing reforms, which would come not only with the use of modern technology, but by changing our mindset and attitudes towards people and our duties,” the union minister observed.

Meanwhile, he lauded UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath for bringing about a significant change in the state law and order scenario after coming to power.

Shah further informed the Centre was in the process of making radical changes in various acts and laws related to police and internal security, including CrPC, IPC etc.

Talking about narcotics, he lamented there was utter lack of coordination among different central and state wings, including police to effectively control the menace, which posed a serious challenge for the future generations.

“The time for India to become the world leader has come,” Shah noted while seeking cooperation of all the state police forces in maintaining law and order.