The Indian Police: A Study in Fundamentals

The Indian Police-A Study in Fundamentals deals with salient features of the Indian Police System. the book identifies basic issues, ideas and concepts to which various questions relating to Police-functioning can be retraced. The book highlights ideological contradiction under which the Indian Police has to operate with its colonial origin in a new democratic setup. In absence of a national police-policy. The question of trust in the police service has been dealt with in the historical perspective and the legal framework has been analysed as to how it generally approaches the issue of trust. The concept of discipline and mechanism of control have been given an exhaustive treatment. The problem of not all-too-pleasant a police behaviour, attitudes and the questions of purity of means adopted have been studied in great details. A psychoanalytical treatment of various shades of aberrations in the behaviour of policemen would enhance readers’ understanding of the matter which might give clues to essential reforms. A psycho-socological analysis of police sub-culture would show the freedom of group behaviour in the police which need to be tempered for the good of society at large. The behaviour of Indian Police fluctuates between the colonial philosophy of its origin and constitutional governance of the new setup. The system has not changed in tune with the democratic requirements. However the Indian Police cannot defy change and is doing its best to overcome the contradictions and reconcile to the ever-changing social norms. This book brings out these issues to the fore with all freshness and lucidity. The study is original and the book is landmark in the treatment of the subject.

Dr. D.N. Gautam (b. 1951) is a senior member of the Indian Police Service. He has held a number of important positions under the Govt. of Bihar and the Central Government. A first class law graduate and post-graduate in mathematics, he received Ph.D. degree in 1987 from the Magadh University. The present work is his latest book. His earlier books are: What is Wrong with Indian Police (1984); Unnatural Death of Married Women with special reference to Dowry-death: a Sample Study in the Union Territory of Delhi (1988); Bharatiya Police Ek Dristi (1992). In addition to these books, he has authored a number of papers on professional subjects. Education is Dr. Gautam’s area of special interest. He has scripted three short tele-films (10 mts each) for NCERT and helped SERT, Bihar, Patna in their production which have since been telecast. He has been actively supporting the cause of adult education and popularising non-formal education since 1987. Currently, he is running special literary programmes for about seven thousand men serving with him. he has been participating as a guest faculty at a number of teaching and training institutes. A collection of his poems in Hindi and another in English and also a collection of essays are currently under print.