Indian Police in 2020: Redefining Public Service From The Frontline

This past year has changed the way we think and talk about a lot of things. For example, words like ‘pandemic’, ‘PPE’ and ‘frontline workers’ have become everyday parlance. And when it comes to the latter, the police are one of the first groups that come to mind. The Indian police in 2020 has surely been the most dynamic, involved and accessible branch of governance. The police have been responsible for enforcing lockdown guidelines as well as delivering food and essentials to those in need, raising awareness, coordinating emergency services and more. The Indian police in 2020 have truly been our knights in khaki through this time of national crisis.

At SKOCH we look at how states perform in the ‘Police & Safety’ sector in our annual State of Governance research. Law and order is one of the most visible and measurable symptoms of public health. It is undeniably a reliable market of how well a state government is doing. But this past year, we’ve decided to also study these sectors themselves. This helps us not only gauge how state governments are doing but also get a sense of the fields we excel in and where we might need more intervention. For instance, our piece on District Administration in 2020 is a reassuring look at how local governance systems and the citizenry have evolved through 2020.

Indian Police In 2020: Ranking State Performance

The following table takes a look at how different states rank in the Police & Safety segment in 2020.

RANK	STATE
1	Andhra Pradesh
2	Gujarat
3	Tamil Nadu
3	West Bengal
4	Kerala
5	Telangana
6	Maharashtra
7	Madhya Pradesh
7	Odisha
8	Uttar Pradesh
8	Uttarakhand
9	Arunachal Pradesh
9	Himachal Pradesh
10	Haryana
11	Assam
11	Bihar
11	Jharkand
11	Punjab