Be in uniform when greeting, meeting HM: MHA to forces

The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all personnel and officials of para military, central police and other organisations under it to don their uniform everytime they call upon Home Minister Rajnath Singh or attend an event where he is present.

Following a home ministry directive, a circular titled 'Need for officers and men to be in uniform' was issued by all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and other police organisations like the Delhi Police, which functions under the MHA, to their officers and men.

The May 5 directive, accessed by PTI, states that the MHA "has noticed that members of uniform services while calling on or attending meeting of Honorable HM (home minister) are often not in uniform".

The MHA has, therefore, "advised that all members of uniform services to be in uniform on such occasions including events graced by Honorable HM", it said.

The central forces like the CRPF, the BSF, the ITBP, the CISF, the SSB, the NSG, the NDRF and the Assam Rifles have now asked their personnel to "strictly" adhere to these instructions.

The personnel of these forces either wear the traditional 'Khaki' or their respective combat pattern and colour uniforms on duty.

The home minister had yesterday pulled up police and para -military officials for not being "conscious" about the upkeep of their uniform after he noticed that some of them were without their caps and undone shoe laces at an official event of the Border Security Force here.

Singh also told the officials that they should always be particular about their uniform as it is the symbol of their status (rutbaa) and pride.

The minister, during the event, had said that he had noticed that only a handful of those in uniform were donning their caps when everyone was standing in respect of the BSF song that was being played just before he awarded gallantry and service medals to the BSF personnel.

The minister also said that he had noticed that the laces of the shoe of an IPS (Indian Police Service) officer, whom he decorated with a medal, were loosely tied and undone.

"You would say that a home minister is concerned about the shoe laces. But since my early days I have liked to see things that are kept neat and tidy and I also keep myself that way," he said.

You (policemen) should be conscious about the uniform you don, he had said.