NEW DELHI — India said Monday it would recruit 150,000 low-ranking police officers across the country by next March to boost a depleted and overstretched force.
"We need to recruit 150,000 in the states. There is no substitute for putting men and women on the road," said Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram.
He urged India's state governments to take responsibility for police recruitment and admitted that the central government did not "have the capacity to set up training schools" immediately.
The minister was speaking after a summit on internal security attended by state chief ministers.
Human rights groups have accused Indian police of using strong-arm tactics and violating the law to make up for a lack of proper training and outdated equipment.
A recent report by Human Rights Watched urged the government to undertake massive police reforms to improve public confidence in law enforcement authorities.
Chidambaram said police reforms "have not received the attention they deserve," and said part of the reason was lack of allocation of funds.
He added that a scheme aimed at modernizing the police force, which was due to end in 2010, would likely be extended for another five to 10 years.
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