Human Rights Commission takes strong action against the shortage of sub-inspectors in the Uttarakhand Police.
Minimal increase in the field-level SI cadre impacts the rights of ordinary citizens: Commission directs DGP to investigate
Dehradun: The Human Rights Commission has taken serious cognizance of a serious imbalance in the structure of the Uttarakhand Police. The Commission has termed the lowest percentage increase in the field-level Sub-Inspector (SI) cadre as a matter of concern, linking it to the human rights of ordinary citizens.
Acting on a public interest complaint, Uttarakhand Human Rights Commission Member Ram Singh Meena, IPS, issued a notice to the DGP on January 27, 2026, ordering the following:
*Order*
Complainant Bhupendra Kumar Laxmi has submitted a complaint regarding the lowest percentage of recruitment to the field-level Sub-Inspector posts in the Uttarakhand State Police Force and the need to adequately strengthen the field-level SI cadre.
A copy of the complaint should be forwarded to the Director General of Police, Uttarakhand, so that he can take necessary action in this regard as per the law and regulations.
A shocking truth revealed by RTI
According to data obtained under the Right to Information Act, 2005, by RTI, human rights and social activist Bhupendra Kumar Laxmi, between 2001 and 2025—
The number of IPS officers increased from 19 to 67 (an increase of approximately 252%).
The number of PPS officers increased from 38 to 111 (an increase of approximately 192%).
CO posts increased from 31 to 72 (an increase of approximately 132%).
Inspectors increased from 55 to 268 (an increase of approximately 387%).
While the number of Sub-Inspectors (SIs) increased from 612 to 1134—an increase of only 85%, the lowest among all categories.
The SI cadre is the backbone of the justice system.
The complaint also clarified that—
Registering FIRs
Conducting investigations
Direct contact with victims
Filing charge sheets
Actual law and order management at the police station level
All of these responsibilities primarily fall on the shoulders of sub-inspectors. Consequently, the minimal growth of this cadre is leading to delays in investigations, excessive workload at police stations, and the inability of victims to receive timely justice, all of which directly violate the right to life, liberty, and justice.
The Human Rights Commission, considering the complaint serious, has forwarded a copy to the Director General of Police and expresses its expectation that concrete steps will be taken to adequately strengthen the SI cadre at the field level in the state police force.
A strong voice raised in the public interest
This complaint is not for personal gain, but concerns the rights of ordinary citizens, the strength of the justice system, and the quality of policing. This initiative of the Human Rights Commission is not only being considered an important step towards improving the police system, but it also gives the message that structural imbalance can also be a matter of human rights.