One Nation, One Uniform

In News: Addressing the first Chintan Shivir (brainstorming session) of state home ministers and top police officers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched the idea of “One Nation, One Uniform” for Indian police forces.

• “Just like there is a post box that has a distinct identity, police uniforms should be identifiable uniformly across the country,” Modi said.
• Modi has also repeatedly suggested the implementation of “One Nation, One Election”, and adopting a single voter list for all polls.

About:

• Prime Minister Modi’s suggestion “One Nation, One Uniform” is in line with his broader attempt to introduce a uniform set of policies across the country.
• Law and order are a State Subject:

• The Indian Constitution puts police forces under the jurisdiction of state governments, and each of the 28 states have their own police force.
• Both ‘public order’ and the ‘police’ are placed in List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, which deals with the division of powers between the Union and States.

• While police personnel in India are often associated with the colour khaki, their uniforms do differ in varying degrees in different regions and there are at times inconsistencies in their official attire

• The Kolkata Police wear white uniforms
• Puducherry Police constables wear a bright red cap with their khaki uniforms.
• Delhi Traffic Police personnel wear white and blue

• This is on the same lines of “One Nation One Fertiliser” scheme of Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers and the “One Nation One Ration Card” scheme introduced in 2019 and ‘one nation, one mobility’ card; ‘one nation, one grid’ and a ‘one nation, one sign language’.

Changes in police uniforms:

• In 2018, in a bid to prevent colour variation in the uniform of its personnel, the Maharashtra police had decided to provide dope-dyed khaki fabric for its staff.
• Members of the force buying khaki cloth on their own led to inconsistencies in the shade of the uniform, the police had argued.
• In October 2018, the Karnataka Police announced that women personnel would no longer wear khaki saris, rather a khaki shirt and trousers while on duty.
• This would make it easier for policewomen to do their job and improve their effectiveness in dealing with crime.
• In 2022, the Maharashtra DGP issued a circular discontinuing the practice of wearing a “tunic uniform” for officers from the rank of Police Sub Inspectors (PSI) to Deputy Superintendent (DySP).
• A tunic uniform is a British-era overcoat worn over the traditional uniform by the police force.
• It was discontinued because personnel had complained that it was uncomfortable in hot, muggy weather, and that its use, restricted to ceremonial parades two to three times a year, was an unnecessary expense.

Source: Indian Express