AHMEDABAD, DEC 13
The Gujarat police will be the seventh state in the country to be bestowed with the honour of the President’s Colours. The President’s Colours and flag will be unveiled at a ceremony at the Karai police academy, a top police official said here on Thursday.
Already, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Tripura and Assam were awarded the President’s Colours.
Addressing reporters after a private function, Shivanand Jha, DGP and IGP of Gujarat Police said the President’s Colours and standard or Nishan is a symbol of excellence and pride for a police force. It is a testament to the gallantry service rendered by a force to the nation.
In a ceremonial parade to be held on December 15, at the Gujarat Police Academy in Karai, the Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu will award the President’s Colours and standard, which will include a special flag and emblem, to Gujarat Police.
Jha said, after unveiling, the flag will become the symbol of all units of Gujarat Police and the emblem will be worn on the left sleeve of the uniform of all ranks of Gujarat Police personnel. It will signify unity, esprit de corps and pride.
A proposal for President’s Colours was initiated by the office of the DG and IGP, and was forwarded to the Ministry of Home Affairs, on February 21, 2019, by the home department of the Gujarat government.
A committee of the MHA, comprising the heads of the CRPF, BSF, CBI, R&AW, Intelligence Bureau, Odisha Police and Himachal Pradesh Police, evaluated the proposal and forwarded it to the Prime Minister’s Office.
A communication to award President’s Colours to Gujarat Police was received from the Union Home Ministry on the March 7 this year.
The state police was raised on May 1, 1960, by merging the district police units of Bombay State and the State of Saurashtra and Kutch.
Eighth largest police force in the country
The state police force has the total sanctioned strength of 1,06,831, including 84,476 civil police personnel and 22,355 armed police personnel, is the eighth largest police force in India and has emerged as one of the most modern.
