Delete caste column from appraisal forms: T.N. Police Commission

As part of several measures recommended to eradicate caste conflicts in the State and bring about uniformity in the police force, the Tamil Nadu Fifth Police Commission has called for deleting the caste/community column from the performance appraisal forms of police personnel, official sources said.

The performance appraisal or Annual Confidential Report (ACR) is a crucial document that decides the professional growth of police personnel and officers in the force with regard to increments, promotions, medals, empanelment, deputation etc.,

In the Tamil Nadu Police, the ACR forms meant for Head Constables and Special Sub-Inspectors, who form a sizeable chunk of the 1.25 lakh force, have a reference to their caste/community.

There is also a column that seeks to know their contribution in lawfully assisting the oppressed classes during their period of appraisal, the sources said.

The Tamil Nadu Fifth Police Commission, headed by former Judge of the Madras High Court Justice C.T. Selvam and other senior serving and former bureaucrats, has recommended that the reference to caste/community in the appraisal forms be deleted.

“There is no need for the superior officer appraising the professional work to know the caste of the police personnel. Such references may lead to bias in awarding marks that are crucial for professional growth. The system had been in place for years with nobody objecting to the unwanted practice,” a senior IPS officer said.

‘Absent in the ACR forms for other ranks’

Caste references were not there in the ACR assessment of other ranks, including IPS officers. “The practice of asking the caste of complainants and accused persons at the police station level should also be dispensed with as there is no provision to do so under law,” the officer who preferred anonymity said.

While the State government is silent on implementing the report of the Commission, which submitted its final report to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin recently, the Home Department has called for several reports from the police headquarters on several issues highlighted for reforms by the panel, police sources said.

‘Evolve political consensus’

One of the recommendations of the Commission to curb caste problems in the State was asking the government to hold all-party meetings to evolve the political consensus to remove caste names from streets and caste markers/identifiers on village boundaries to minimise the gravity of discrimination arising out of a false sense of caste pride.

Formation of Special Intelligence Cells (SIC) in all caste-sensitive districts to gather intelligence on caste-related developments that have a bearing on Law and Order was also recommended.

Amid allegations of police officials from a particular community being posted in caste and communally sensitive southern districts, the Commission asked Commissioners/Superintendents of Police of all cities/districts to ensure that too many police personnel from dominant communities were not assigned to these areas “to avoid biased reporting on events and developments.”