Archive · 6 Aug 2026
Centre tells Supreme Court police modernisation proposal sent for approval
The police are the people who help keep everyone safe in India.
The government of India wants to make sure police stations are modern and have good security cameras.
A long time ago, in 2018, the Supreme Court of India said every police station should have CCTV cameras so that everyone is treated fairly.
But many police stations still did not have working cameras, so the court has been checking on this.
The central government recently told the court that it has sent a big new plan to modernise police forces to the Ministry of Finance for approval.
The old plan that pays for police station cameras will keep working until March 31, 2027.
The government pays different amounts for the cameras depending on the place: fully in Union Territories, 90 percent in hilly states, and 60 percent in other states, with states paying the rest.
The court asked the government to bring more documents within two weeks.
Then, on September 1, the judges will meet again to see how things are going.
This is all happening at the Supreme Court in New Delhi, the capital of India.
The Centre told the Supreme Court that a proposal for an umbrella scheme to modernise police forces was sent to the Finance Ministry's department of expenditure on July 8 for in-principle approval.
The existing funding scheme for installation of CCTVs in police stations has been extended until March 31, 2027.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta granted the Centre two weeks to file additional documents and posted the next hearing for September 1.
The Supreme Court ordered CCTV installation across police stations in 2018 to check human rights abuses and later directed cameras at investigating agency offices such as the CBI, ED and NIA.
The Centre funds 100 percent of CCTV costs in Union Territories, 90 percent in hilly states and 60 percent in other states, with the remaining 40 percent funded by the respective state.
- Who
- The Supreme Court of India's bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, the Centre represented by Additional Solicitor General Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakare, and senior advocate Siddhartha Dave serving as amicus curiae.
- What
- The court heard that the Centre sent a proposal for in-principle approval of an umbrella scheme to modernise police forces and reviewed the status of functional CCTV installation in police stations.
- When
- Reported on August 5; the proposal was sent on July 8; the next hearing is scheduled for September 1.
- Where
- Supreme Court of India, New Delhi.
- Why
- To address the lack of functional CCTVs in police stations and modernise police forces, following the Supreme Court's 2018 order aimed at checking human rights abuses.
- Proposal date
- July 8
- Proposal recipient
- Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance
- CCTV funding scheme valid until
- March 31, 2027
- Next hearing
- September 1
- Central funding - Union Territories
- 100%
- Central funding - hilly states
- 90%
- Central funding - other states
- 60% central, 40% state
- CCTV order origin
- 2018 Supreme Court order to check human rights abuses
