Sun May 25 17:03:23 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The Calcutta High Court has urged the West Bengal government to address the severe shortage of police personnel in the state. The court’s concern stems from the low police-to-population ratio, which is impacting law and order, particularly in the context of frequent communal tensions. Data shows West Bengal has one of the lowest police personnel rates per lakh population in India. Critics argue the government is prioritizing the appointment of under-trained and underpaid civic police volunteers over regular police officers. This reliance on civic police, who have been implicated in criminal activities, is seen as undermining the effectiveness and integrity of law enforcement. While there’s been some recruitment of regular police, particularly women, the numbers haven’t kept pace with the state’s population growth, leading to an alarming deficit.

**News Article:**

**Calcutta High Court Demands West Bengal Boost Police Ranks Amid Shortage Concerns**

**Kolkata, May 25, 2025** – The Calcutta High Court has issued a strong directive to the West Bengal government, urging an immediate increase in police personnel to address a critical shortage impacting law and order across the state. The court highlighted the insufficient number of officers per capita, especially concerning given the frequency of communal flare-ups in various districts.

The court’s order follows a petition seeking a CBI investigation into a double murder during communal riots in Murshidabad last month. The court noted that the police force in Murshidabad, like many other districts, is “very small.”

Data from the Ministry of Home Affairs reveals West Bengal has one of the lowest police-to-population ratios in India, with only 97.66 officers per lakh population as of January 1, 2022. Critics contend that the government’s reliance on civic police volunteers—a contractual workforce with limited training and lower pay—is exacerbating the problem.

“Instead of the recruitment of regular forces, the government has focused on the recruitment of civic police – this indicates the informalisation of a formal force,” said social activist Sabir Ahamed. “Some recent incident indicates they lack formal training and discipline to act as keepers of law and order.” Ahamed’s RTI application revealed that only 38,044 police personnel were recruited between 2018 and 2024.

The situation is further complicated by incidents involving civic police volunteers themselves, including a conviction in a rape and murder case and the recent arrest of a volunteer for impersonating a police officer.

While data indicates an increasing number of women are being recruited into the police force, the overall number of officers remains significantly below what is required for a state with an estimated population of 10.4 crore. The court’s directive has sparked debate about the long-term impact of this shortage on public safety and the effectiveness of law enforcement in West Bengal.

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