Delhi Police to recruit 4,000 constables, SSC to conduct online tests

For Delhi Police that is grappling with manpower shortage, there is something to cheer about. The union home ministry has approved its proposal for recruitment of constabulary.

With this, the department will begin the process of recruiting 4,669 constables, both male and female, possibly in September-October. This is the highest number of hiring for the force after the Commonwealth Games 2010. Large-scale recruitments took place between 2007 and 2009 to fill vacancies of about 12,000 personnel ahead of the games.

The existing strength of the force is around 78,000, a ratio of one cop per 238 people. About 2,000 officials retire every year.

Read more: Consider a salary hike for Delhi Police, HC tells Centre

During the Commonwealth Games, the number was a little over 85,000 and the ratio stood at one cop per 197 people. Crime in the city has increased by almost 400% since 2010.

While over 10,000 cops have retired in the past five-six years, not more than 2,000 were hired. The city police’s latest manpower audit report says they have a shortage of about 54,000 cops.

Senior police officers feel that with 4,669 new recruits, visibility of police personnel on the ground would improve and crime on streets will also come down.

As 33% vacancies will be filled by women, more female constables will be deployed in police stations and on roads to handle crimes related to women. Also the representation of women in the force, that is currently a little above 9%, will improve.

What is new?

The Delhi Police have taken some new and unique steps to make the employment process ethical, fair, and transparent.

To encourage all-India recruitment to the force, the police this time will organise “on-the-spot” physical efficiency/standard test in all the 29 states and seven UTs.

The idea came after the recruitment of some 450 constable from northeastern states under a special recruitment drive. The recruiters had reached out to the applicants in their respective home town and conducted the physical and written tests.

A senior police officer associated with the recruitment process said, “Our recruitment teams, each headed by an additional CP or DCP-level officer, will physically visit the centres in the states and UTs and conduct the physical standard test.”

“... Earlier, the candidates had to reach our centres in Delhi to appear in the physical test. It used to cost them money and time,” the officer said.

Who will conduct it?

Unlike previous years when recruitments of constabularies were done directly by the department, Delhi Police, this time, have roped in Staff Selection Commission (SSC).

From now on, the SSC, which conducts recruitments for paramilitary forces and subinspectors in Delhi Police, will conduct the online written tests for constables.

The decision to approach SSC for conducting online written exams was taken by senior officers following their bad experiences in which written exams were either cancelled or postponed because of paper leak.

The questions to be asked in the written tests were set by a panel of officers within the department. They were sent to a printing press, mostly chosen at the last moment to avoid leak. The process was cumbersome.

“This not only caused huge embarrassment for the force but also wastage of government money. Also, recruitment processes got delayed because of such malpractices. The future of potential candidates gets equally affected due to it,” says another police officer.

More in store

Thirty three per cent seats will be reserved for women, besides other quota approved by the government. Also, candidates who clear the physical, written and medical exams will not have to appear for any interview, a decision taken by the Narendra Modi-led NDA government.