The Role of Police is a core institution and concept within India's criminal justice system, primarily tasked with maintaining public order, preventing and detecting crime, enforcing laws, and safeguarding life and property. The foundational legal framework is the Police Act, 1861 (Act V of 1861), which was enacted on March 16, 1861, by the British colonial government. This Act was a direct response to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, intended to create a centralized, disciplined force to suppress dissent and maintain control. The Act places the superintendence of the police in the State Government (Section 3), reflecting the constitutional position that 'Police' is a State subject under Entry 2, List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule. Key provisions outline the duties of officers, who are considered to be always on duty (Section 22). The police function as the primary agency for implementing the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which governs procedures like the registration of First Information Reports (FIRs). The senior leadership is provided by the Indian Police Service (IPS), established in 1948. Despite its colonial origins, the Police Act, 1861, remains in force in most states. The most significant recent change is the Supreme Court's landmark judgment in Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006), which issued seven mandatory directives for systemic police reforms. The judgment's ratio was to insulate the police from illegitimate political control by mandating a minimum two-year tenure for the Director General of Police (DGP) and the separation of investigation and law and order functions. The Model Police Act, 2006, was drafted to replace the 1861 Act, but its adoption by states has been uneven.
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The RBI was established on April 1, 1935, and was nationalized in 1949. It acts as the banker's bank and lender of last resort.
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