Tourist Police Initiative Strengthens Safety for Visitors in India
The Ministry of Tourism is making significant strides to enhance the safety of tourists across India by advocating for the establishment of dedicated Tourist Police. This initiative aims to improve security measures for tourists, ensuring a safer travel experience. States and Union Territories (UTs) such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, and Uttar Pradesh have already deployed tourist police as part of this effort.
Despite the active involvement of the Ministry of Tourism, it is noteworthy that no special financial packages or assistance have been allocated to States and UTs specifically for setting up these dedicated Tourist Police forces. This approach emphasizes the importance of state-level commitment to bolstering tourist safety.
In a move to better understand the needs and functioning of tourist police, the Ministry collaborated with the Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (IITTM) to conduct a study titled “Functioning of Tourist Police in States/UTs & Documentation of Best Practices.” The results of this study have been shared with all relevant States and UTs to help tailor their police forces to meet the specific needs of tourists. Additionally, a training module developed by IITTM has been forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which has subsequently distributed it to the Chief Secretaries across the nation.
To further standardize the tourist police framework, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) launched a comprehensive study on the Tourist Police Scheme. This initiative aims to create a uniform tourist police presence in all States and UTs, thereby enhancing the overall safety ecosystem for visitors. A National Conference on the Tourist Police Scheme was recently held in New Delhi, bringing together Director Generals (DGs) and Inspector Generals (IGs) of Police Departments from across the country for discussions on implementation and best practices.
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