New Delhi, Nov 10: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday urged Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to reorient their approach towards cybercrime, warning that the growing use of advanced technology by criminals, particularly through deepfakes and organised misinformation, poses serious challenges to law enforcement.
Addressing probationers of the 78th Regular Recruit (RR) batch of the Indian Police Service (2025 batch), who called on her at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the President stressed the need for police officers to stay ahead of criminals who are increasingly using sophisticated technologies.
She said cybercrimes were becoming widespread and more serious, requiring police to sensitise society more extensively about their dangers and strengthen their response to such offences.
Highlighting the emerging threat of deepfake content, Murmu said police officers must constantly update their knowledge and capabilities to tackle crimes involving state-of-the-art technologies.
She also flagged the growing use of misinformation to create fear among people, particularly warning that impressionable minds, especially young people, could be influenced by orchestrated disinformation campaigns.
Such activities, she said, could take place at local, regional and national levels, making smart policing essential to prevent them from escalating into major challenges.
The President also emphasised that the police played a crucial role in shaping people’s perception of governance, observing that police officers and constables were often seen by citizens as symbols of the government.
She said people developed confidence in the governance system when the police functioned effectively and responded to their grievances with sensitivity and attentiveness.
Urging the probationers to remain accessible to the public, she called on them to prioritise the concerns of socially and economically weaker sections, who often lacked access to senior officials and faced difficulties in getting their grievances addressed.
Murmu said police officers derived authority from laws and rules, but earned genuine respect from people through their performance and values. She advised them to cultivate a commitment to serving citizens rather than developing a sense of superiority over them.
She also encouraged the young officers to promote teamwork and public participation in policing, observing that junior members of their teams could sometimes be more proficient in technology than senior officers.
Advising the probationers to remain open to learning, she said they should not hesitate to acquire knowledge from even the most junior members of their teams.
The President further stressed that the welfare of police personnel should remain a priority, saying that looking after team members would strengthen their capabilities and enthusiasm.
The IPS probationers of the 78th RR (2025 batch) called on the President at Rashtrapati Bhavan as part of their interaction with her.
