Recently, the Centre told the Supreme Court that it is considering a new umbrella scheme to modernise the police force across the country.
The proposed scheme has been sent to the Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance for in-principle approval.
The Centre also informed the Court that the Assistance to States and Union Territories for Modernization of Police (ASUMP) scheme has been extended until March 31, 2027.
A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta was hearing a suo motu case concerning non-functional CCTV cameras in police stations when Additional Solicitor General Rajkumar Bhaskar Thakare informed the Court about the proposed scheme.
According to the ASG, the new scheme would be similar to the existing ASUMP scheme.
However, Senior Advocate Siddharth Dave, who is assisting the Court as Amicus Curiae, pointed out that States and Union Territories had earlier used the ASUMP scheme to seek items such as gypsies.
He said that police modernisation should instead focus on advanced equipment, better technology and scientific methods of investigation.
Justice Mehta agreed, observing that modernisation should include high-tech equipment for police forces.
The Court then asked the ASG to file an affidavit giving details of the proposed scheme and adjourned the hearing.
The case relates to the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations.
On September 4, 2025, the Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the issue after a media report highlighted around 11 alleged custodial deaths within seven to eight months.
The Court had already directed all States and Union Territories in 2020 to install CCTV cameras in every police station in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh. However, compliance has remained a concern, with several cameras either not installed or not working.
During the present proceedings, the Supreme Court has repeatedly stressed that simply installing CCTV cameras is not enough. The cameras must remain functional and should not be easily switched off or tampered with.
In September 2025, the Court said it was considering independent monitoring of CCTV cameras so that their functioning could be checked without relying entirely on police officials.
The Court later asked the Rajasthan government several questions about the CCTV system, including how often the cameras were checked, how long footage was stored and whether surprise inspections were conducted.
In October 2025, the Court also questioned why CCTV cameras were not installed in interrogation rooms in Rajasthan and sought an explanation regarding reported custodial deaths.
Justice Mehta said CCTV feeds from police stations should ideally be connected to a central monitoring system. He pointed out that similar systems are already used for road cameras in Rajasthan, where authorities can be alerted if a camera stops working.
In January 2026, the Court again made it clear that CCTV cameras in police stations must not merely be installed but should work properly.
In April, the Court directed the Union Home Secretary to appear and assist in framing a system for monitoring police station CCTVs. The Court also asked why other States and Union Territories had not adopted the 'Kerala model' of live CCTV monitoring.
The latest development indicates that the Centre is now looking at a broader police modernisation plan that could focus on better technology, equipment and investigation methods across the country.
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