Every 10th Post Vacant, Over 9,000 Vacancies in Delhi Police; Read Details

Delhi Police: Every tenth post in the Delhi Police is vacant, and more than 9,000 positions are yet to be filled, the government informed the Rajya Sabha.

The Delhi Police, responsible for maintaining law and order in the national capital, is currently grappling with a severe staff shortage. According to information presented in Parliament, more than 10 percent of the posts in the Delhi Police are vacant. This information was provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs in the Rajya Sabha, reigniting the debate on this issue.

During the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress MP Prakash Chik Baraik raised a question regarding the vacant posts in the Delhi Police. Responding to his question, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated that as of November 30, the current strength of the Delhi Police is 92,044 personnel, while a total of 9,248 posts remain vacant. This figure clearly shows that the shortage of personnel in the capital's police force remains a major challenge.

How Vacancies Arise

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed Parliament that the occurrence of vacancies in the police department is a continuous process. He said that posts become vacant from time to time due to retirements, promotions, and resignations. Consequently, the number of vacancies fluctuates. According to the minister, the process of filling these vacant posts is also ongoing.

He also stated that information regarding all vacant posts in the Delhi Police is regularly sent to recruitment agencies. Recruitment is then conducted according to the established procedure, and appointments are made after the selection process is complete. The government claims that the recruitment process is conducted with complete transparency.

Questions Regarding Vacancies Remain

Although the government did provide information on the number of vacant posts, Minister Nityanand Rai did not answer the question of how long these posts have been vacant and when they will be filled. Opposition MPs expressed concern over this and said that until a timeframe is set, resolving the problem will be difficult. Experts believe that a shortage of police personnel in a large city like the capital can directly impact law and order. With a large number of crime-related cases reported daily in Delhi, having an adequate police force is crucial.

The issue has been raised before

The issue of staff shortage in the Delhi Police is not new. Earlier, in April 2024, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report presented in Parliament also highlighted this problem. The report stated that the Delhi Police had sent several proposals to the Ministry of Home Affairs, requesting more than 50,000 new positions and additional units.

The report also pointed out that Delhi's population is growing rapidly, and with it, the security responsibilities have also increased. As a result, the existing police force is feeling the pressure to meet the capital's needs.