Question map
In May 2008, the Supreme Court of India laid down six parameters to make the police effective, accountable and insulated from political interference and set up a monitoring committee to ensure that states implement police reforms. Which one of the following is not a directive of the apex court in this regard ?
Explanation
In the landmark Prakash Singh vs. Union of India (2006) case, the Supreme Court issued seven directives to ensure police accountability and autonomy [1]. These directives included: (i) setting up a State Security Commission to prevent unwarranted government influence, (ii) selecting the Director General of Police (DGP) from the three senior-most officers empanelled by the UPSC, (iii) ensuring a minimum tenure of two years for the DGP and other operational officers (not five years), and (iv) separating investigation from law and order functions to improve efficiency. While the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Act, 2021, allows for extensions of the CBI Director's tenure up to five years [2], the original 2006 Supreme Court directive for state police officers specifically mandated a minimum tenure of two years to protect them from arbitrary transfers. Therefore, option 3 is incorrect as it misstates the tenure duration.
Sources
- [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 90: Landmark Judgements and Their Impact > PRAKASH SINGH CASE (2006) > p. 636
- [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 65: Central Bureau of Investigation > COMPOSITION > p. 505