The National Human Rights Commission organized a day-long workshop on 'Human Rights Training in Police and Para-Military Organizations' in New Delhi on 19th March, 2013. Senior police officers looking after training of Police and Para-Military personnel attended. Inaugurating it, Justice Shri K.G. Balakrishnan, Chairperson, NHRC said that in almost every police action, there is an element of human rights involved. Therefore, police personnel, especially at lower levels, needed to be properly sensitized about the importance of these rights and their obligations to protect them.

Justice Balakrishnan said that police should register FIR in all cognizable offences. At the same time, tendency to arrest is needed to be curbed in small offences to ensure that under trial prisoners do not crowd prisons. Understanding the need for training of police personnel, the NHRC had been collaborating with various police academies and had developed a curriculum for them in collaboration with IGNOU. Same was further open to suggestions.

Earlier, Dr. Ashok Sahu, Secretary General, NHRC said that the NHRC is mandated to increase human rights literacy. Serious efforts were being made to fulfill this obligation through collaborative efforts. He said that police and para military training organizations needed to include human rights component in their training programmes which could be organized more frequently.

Smt. Kanwaljit Deol, DG (I), NHRC said that human rights are integral to police training. These cannot be taught as separate subjects. The point is that police personnel do not follow what they are taught and that is why there are human rights violations. The highest 34 per cent of complaints received in the NHRC concerned the police. They need to remove the baggage of prejudice against the weaker sections and overcome colonial mind sets to improve public image of police, which is so poor. She also drew attention of the participants about the delay in providing the basic reports to the Commission which are obligatory on their part in connection with cases of human rights violations.

Shri Chaman Lal, former senior IPS officer and also former Special Rapporeur of the NHRC, said that police officers feel that human rights are a hindrance to their work. They feel disempowered by the emerging concept of human rights. Some feel that these rights support terrorists. However, such impressions are merely misgivings. He said that they needed conceptual clarity on the role of NHRC, public order and conflict situations. They need to stop suspecting everyone and also need to understand that terrorism and activism have roots in violations of civil rights.

Several suggestions came up during the discussions divided into two separate sessions on para-military forces and police chaired by the NHRC Members, Justice Shri B.C. Patel and Shri Satyabrata Pal. Some of these are as follows:
o Human Rights Training should be made integral to policing to change the mind-set among all ranks. This may be at entry level, pre-promotion level and in-service.
o There is a need to undertake analysis of training requirements and methods thereof, to reduce the gap between theory and practice of policing.
o Appropriate number of trainers need to be provided and appointment of officers in training institutions should be as a recognition of their aptitude, impeccable record/integrity and not as a punishment posting; incentives to be given for training assignments.
o Behaviourial science should be an essential component of all training programmes, which should include soft skills.
o Actual creation of model police station, police commander etc. whom one could emulate.
o Designating officers as Human Rights officer who would sensitize the troops in a battalion.
o Induction training as well as de-induction training required to be introduced for Police and Para-military personnel as per the changes in their assignments and locations.
o Need for periodic assessment of the impact of stress on the conduct of personnel in Police and Para-military organizations, which could affect their conduct and
o Best practices among training institutions may be shared with each other.