New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS): The conviction rate of states and union territories relating to cognisable crime under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes have increased by 7 per cent, according to the data shared by the government for 2020 on Tuesday.

"As per data maintained by National Crime Record Bureau, the conviction rate of states/UTs relating to cognizable crime under Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes during 2018, 2019 and 2020 is 66.6, 66.4 and 73.4, respectively," Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

He said it is primarily the responsibility of the state governments and UT Administrations to make the police force efficient and capable and its functioning more effective, transparent and accountable, as "Police" is a State subject falling in List-II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.

"Government has taken several steps on Police reforms which is an ongoing process. The Centre also issues advisories to the States to bring in the requisite reforms in the Police to meet the expectations of the people," the Minister said.

Rai said that the Ministry of Home Affairs circulated the Model Police Act, 2006 to all state governments which has a provision of constituting Police Accountability Commission & District Accountability Authority for ensuring accountability of the police including display of good behaviour with members of public with due courtesy and decorum.

According to the Minister, in order to improve the functioning of the police, the Central government has set up various Commissions/Committees on police reforms, including a Review Committee to review the recommendations of the previous Commissions and Committees.

"The Review Committee shortlisted 49 recommendations. These recommendations have been sent to state governments and Union Territory Administrations for taking appropriate action," he said.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has included a component of "incentives for police reforms" in the implementation structure of the scheme of "Assistance to States for Modernisation of Police".

For this purpose, originally a provision of keeping up to 10 per cent of the total annual allocation of the scheme was made. This incentive component has been increased to 'up to 20 per cent' of the total allocation from the year 2019-20.

"In order to facilitate police in states/UTs with a common IT platform for filing reports, investigation, collecting and sharing information on crimes and criminals at national level, the MHA has implemented Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) in all police stations," the Union Minister said.

CCTNS has been integrated through Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) to facilitate use of information on crime and criminals in CCTNS with other databases on prisons, prosecution, forensics and courts in a holistic manner for administration of criminal justice.