GUWAHATI: Advocating the concept of 'SMART' policing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said a country which has an efficient intelligence network does not need any arms and ammunition to run the government.

Focusing on the police force and intelligence agencies, the Prime Minister said he wanted a force which takes care of the country's law and order in an efficient manner.

"By 'SMART' policing, I mean S for strict but sensitive, M for modern and mobile, A for alert and accountable, R for reliable and responsive and T for techno-savvy and trained", Modi said while addressing the DGP's conference here.

The police force should inculcate these values to ensure best policing which will go a long way in improving its image and work culture, he said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the need to honour 33,000 police personnel martyred in the country after Independence as "this was not a small number and their sacrifice should not go waste".

The Prime Minister said the country can be run through an efficient intelligence network without much dependence on arms.

"The country which has high class intelligence network does not need any arms and ammunition. So, it is very important to have a very high class intelligence network," he said.

Modi said through a lot of good things were happening in the nation, positive stories should be published properly so that people are aware about it.

The Prime Minister said police welfare is another issue which need to be given importance.

"An officer may be very good but it is important that his/her family is (kept) well," he said. The Prime Minister said a task force of senior police officials should be set up to workout a protocol and incorporate certain measures to ensure that the "legacy of the sacrifice of martyrs are honoured and respect for them is established in society".

A protocol to ensure that the force takes full responsibility of conducting their last rites with full honour as "they had died on duty for the safety and security of the common man".

Besides, each state has a police academy where new recruits are trained and it should be made mandatory to include in their syllabus an account of the life of policemen killed on duty, Modi said.

"There should be a new official government book where the new generation of police will study about these martyrs--their lives and sacrifice and every year a new updated edition should be brought out," he said.

He said an e-book should be brought out in every state on these martyrs in the local language as well as the national language and "this may seem to be a small gesture but will be a big inspiration".

A policeman's life is full of tension as their life is always at stake and unless "we ensure that there is peace and stability in their family, they cannot give their full to society".

"It is the responsibility of the government to set up a systematic system to ensure certain welfare schemes to ease their lives like medical checkup, education of their children and their housing, particularly for those at the lower level," he said.

"Our priority should be to provide welfare schemes in a scientific manner," he added.

The Prime Minister said Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who "was a successful Chief Minister of India's largest state, and he himself as Gujarat Chief Minister had kept the home portfolio and are so fully aware of the situation at the grass root and how to tackle these issues".

On the decision to hold such conferences outside the national capital, the Prime Minister said everyone was wondering why a tradition of all these years was broken and this meeting was held in Guwahati.

"In Delhi, everyone comes with their own work. Here your total focus is on the conference. Most importantly, people get encouragement. Local police would be very encouraged and I am sure you have realised this fact. In future too, such conference would be held in other states," he said.

Modi said it was important that the policing system should have life, it should not be robotic.-PTI

GUWAHATI: Film industry's portrayal of the police force has irked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said cinema has created a "very bad image" of the police in the minds of the common man.

He said the government should make a special effort and rope in a PR agency to meet filmmakers and engage them in a process to bring out the best of the police force.

"The film industry has created a very bad image of the police in the minds of the common man and I ask them-why? Yes, there may be a some shortcomings but should only that be highlighted? Is it not our duty to remove these shortcomings by bringing into light the positive and good things," he said.

"The image of films on the common man is immense and without their cooperation, policing cannot be successful", he said.

"We must think about long-term strategy to change the thoughts and perception of the common people based on reality", Modi said.

Many Bollywood movies have seen the hero playing out the role of a cop with leading stars of all times donning the police uniform at least once in their career.

Modi also blamed the media for mostly highlighting negative news though "there are thousands of good news which do not find a place in the media".

The Prime Minister also called for setting up of websites of every police stations, like he did as the Gujarat Chief Minister, to highlight the positive work done by the police stations.

"Each individual at some point of time in their life has a story of how the police have helped them and these stories should be brought to light to create a positive image of the police force.

"Each police station should put online a positive story every week and then people will see the many good things being done by the police," he said. PTI

SRINAGAR: The second phase of polling in Kashmir on December 2 will witness several high profile candidates including separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajad Lone and the lone woman minister in the present government Sakina Itoo trying their luck at the hustings.

While political observers are keenly watching the polling pattern in all the nine constituencies in the Valley, the Handwara constituency in north Kashmir's Kupwara district will draw special attention as Lone is contesting his maiden Assembly election from the seat.

Lone, whose father Abdul Gani was a three-time MLA before joining the separatist ranks when militancy erupted, broke off from the ranks in 2009 and contested the Lok Sabha polls that year but came a distant third.

The senior Lone had represented Handwara constituency thrice from 1967 to 1983. 

He also won in the 1983 Assembly elections but from Karnah seat of the district.

The junior Lone, whose elder brother Bilal is an executive member in the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference, will be banking on immense goodwill his father enjoyed in Handwara and its adjoining areas to sail through.

In a surprise move, Lone met Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this month saying the BJP leader came across as an "elder brother". What did not come as a surprise was BJP not fielding a candidate from Handwara.

Lone will be up against National Conference candidate Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan, who is seeking a fifth term having won all elections since 1983 except the 2002 polls when Ghulam Mohiuddin Sofi won as an Independent.

Sofi's victory in the 2002 elections was seen as a result of covert support extended to him by Sajad Lone, which led to a vertical split in Hurriyat Conference in 2003 as hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani accused Lone of fielding proxy candidates.

Sofi completes the triangle of the contest for Handwara seat as he is the PDP candidate.

There are three sitting MLAs, including CPI(M) face in Jammu and Kashmir Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, seeking a fourth consecutive term during Tuesday's polling. Tarigami first came to prominence in 1996 when he was elected, with National Conference support, from the Kulgam assembly segment in south Kashmir.

But when Tarigami won again in 2002, he reminded the National Conference leaders, then in Opposition, that he did not need their support after all.

After two comfortable wins, Tarigami had some nervous moments on the counting day in 2008 elections as he prevailed over the PDP candidate by just 236 votes on the back of migrant votes which overturned the deficit.

With PDP sweeping the south Kashmir in Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, the party candidate from Kulgam Nazir Ahmad Laway is hoping for a win.

National Conference candidates from Karnah and Kupwara -- Kafeelur Rehman and Mir Saifullah respectively -- are also seeking a fourth consecutive term from their respective seats.

In the Noorabad constituency of south Kashmir, Social Welfare Minister and National Conference candidate Ittoo will be hoping that the LS poll results will not have much of an effect in the Assembly elections.

She had won from Noorabad in 1996 but lost in 2002. She wrested the seat again in the 2008 polls.

Besides Ittoo, Deputy Speaker and PDP candidate from Devsar seat is seeking a third consecutive term. His party colleague and candidate from Homshalibugh Abdul Gaffar Sofi has won the past two elections and will be hoping for a hat-trick this time.

Firebrand Independent MLA from Langate Abdul Rashid Sheikh, who was also seen as a proxy of Sajad Lone in the 2008 elections, will be hoping that he can retain the seat on his own this time.

Sheikh, who took on the government on several issues including the hanging of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru, started his term by extended issue-based support to the Omar Abdullah-led government. He had won by a slender margin of 260 votes in 2008.

National Conference stalwart Shariefuddin Shariq is not contesting the elections as the party has fielded little-known Wali Mohammad while PDP's Mohammad Sultan Pandithpori, who was the runners-up six years ago, is also out of way due to ill health. The party has fielded his brother Ghulam Nabi Panditpori from the segment. -PTI

NEW DELHI: The number of deaths on railway tracks has been on the rise in the past few years despite several measures taken by the authorities to contain such incidents.

While 14,973 deaths occurred on railway tracks in 2011, the number increased to 16,336 in 2012, according to Railway Ministry data. The number increased further to 19,997 in 2013.

According to the data prepared by safety wing of the national transporter, railway tracks have claimed 18,735 lives till October this year.

Main reasons for death of persons on railway tracks are trespassing, falling off trains, accidents and suicides, a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the safety wing said.

Railways has taken a series of steps to prevent deaths on railway tracks including regular announcement through public address system at important stations urging the passengers to use foot over-bridges and to avoid crossing of rail lines.

"We are also carrying out various passenger awareness programmes to educate and create awareness among general public about the fatalities involved in crossing rail lines," said the official.

At present, railways has 11,563 unmanned level crossings.

The official said trespassing into railway premises including the track is a punishable offence under Section 147 of the Railways Act and regular checks are being conducted against unauthorised entry into railway premises as well as lines.

Railways has decided to eliminate all unmanned level crossing in phased manner by closure, manning and also by constructing rail over-bridge and under-bridge. -PTI

NEW DELHI: India's populous coastal cities Mumbai and Kolkata are most vulnerable to loss of life and properties due to coastal flooding in the second half of the century, the government has said quoting a UN report ahead of a key global climate conference in Peruvian capital Lima.

The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has warned against extreme weather events like occurrence of heatwave, heavy precipitation, droughts, floods, cyclones and wildfire that cause damage to ecosystems and human systems in various regions, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said.

"... India is among the top 20 countries and regions most at risk based on analysis of climate risk and coping ability.

Mumbai and Kolkata will have the greatest population and assets exposure to coastal flooding in 2070," he said.

The minister's statement assumes significance at a time when representatives of governments are scheduled to meet in Lima from tomorrow for the Climate Change Conference to lay the foundation for an effective, new and universal climate change agreement in Paris in 2015.

Last week, the UN Environment Programme had underscored the need for global emissions to peak within the decade and then to rapidly decline so that the world can reach climate neutrality – also termed zero net emissions – in the second half of the century.

With climate change impacts worsening and affecting the poor and most vulnerable, governments urgently need to scale up adaptation to climate change, according to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

"Never before have the risks of climate change been so obvious and the impacts so visible. Never before have we seen such a desire at all levels of society to take climate action," said Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Climate Convention.

Figueres said "it is hugely encouraging" that "countries have already been outlining what they intend to contribute" towards the climate action, referring to the recent agreement between China and the US to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate expert Chandra Bhushan, however, said the deal signed between China and the US "was not in line with the principals of the UN Convention". In Lima, India must work harder with developing countries and push for an ambitious global deal which is equitable and saves the world from catastrophic climate impacts, he said.

"India must push for a principle-based emissions reduction target for all countries. 

This is the only way the world can remain within the planetary limits," Bhushan said.

In a statement issued ahead of the Lima meet, Figueres said, "Never before has the society had all the smart policy and technology resources to curb greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience... We can be confident we will have a productive meeting in Lima, which will lead to an effective outcome in Paris next year."

The UN has said, in Lima, all governments need to work towards streamlining elements of a draft agreement for Paris 2015 and explore common ground on unresolved issues in order to achieve a balanced, well-structured, coherent draft for the next round of work on the text in February next year.

The governments meeting under the "Ad Hoc Work Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action" (ADP) needs to define the scope and the type of contributions they will provide to the Paris agreement, along with clarity on how finance, technology and capacity building will be handled, it says.

Countries will put forward what they plan to contribute to the 2015 agreement in the form of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) by the first quarter of 2015, well in advance of the Paris conference in December.

The Lima conference needs to provide final clarity on what the INDCs need to contain, including for developing countries who are likely to have a range of options from, for example, sector-wide emission curbs to energy intensity goals.

According to Figueres, "countries are working hard to increase emission reductions before 2020, when the Paris agreement is set to enter into effect. Pathways on how to accomplish this will also be a key issue before nations in Lima."

Union minister Javadekar will be part of the high-level Indian delegation to the Lima Conference.

In addition to progress made to date towards a Paris agreement, the political will of countries to provide climate finance is increasingly coming to the fore. At a recent pledging conference held in Berlin, Germany, countries made pledges towards the initial capitalisation of the Green Climate Fund totalling nearly USD 9.3 billion. -PTI