Karnataka Sets Up Expert Committees to Review Police Services, Modernisation and Recruitment

Karnataka's Home Department has constituted expert committees to examine police service delivery, modernisation and recruitment. One of them is headed by former Director General of Police R.K. Dutta. Home Minister Priyank Kharge announced the move on Monday, September 28, 2026.

The brief received by this desk spoke of two committees. Government statements and press reports describe three, each headed by a retired DGP: Dutta for police service delivery, M.N. Reddy for modernisation and Kamal Pant for cadre structure and recruitment. All three have been given two months to submit reports.

Dutta's committee covers the police's public-facing work: FIR registration, complaint handling, emergency response, cybercrime complaints, certificates and accessibility. It will also examine key performance indicators and the creation of a Citizen Charter.

Reddy's committee looks at infrastructure, technology, artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, human resources and training. Kharge said modernisation should not be limited to the purchase of new equipment.

Pant's committee will review the police cadre structure, sanctioned strength, classification of posts and recruitment rules against the department's present workload and future requirements. Kharge described the aim as assessing human resource needs scientifically and building a recruitment system and training that match them.

The state has taken similar steps before. In 2017 the police department studied an integrated police force, since recruitment to civil police, the District Armed Reserve and the Karnataka State Reserve Police followed different processes. The new exercise reopens recruitment and cadre questions on a wider footing.

The committees' two-month deadline puts their reports due around the end of November.