New Delhi, Apr 15 (IANS): Police need to be provided a better working environment that is "insulated from pulls and pressures", union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Monday as he pitched for police reforms.

Addressing a chief minister's conference to discuss a report on public order of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission here, Shinde said: "Public order and police today in India are facing challenges; with the ever changing social landscape and the ever rising public expectations, the load on the police force will only increase further with an enhanced focus on accountability and transparency in police functioning."

"This pressure will increase from all the stakeholders, not only to demand better detection, investigation and prevention of crime, but also to provide a better working environment for the police which is insulated from pulls and pressures," he added.

"Under these circumstances, it becomes incumbent upon us to put our heads together and take stock of the existing situation and recommendations under consideration," he said at the function held at Vigyan Bhavan.