Maharashtra CM Fadnavis announces medals for C-60 anti-Naxal unit

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that personnel serving in the state policersquos specialised antiNaxal unit C60 will be honoured with medalsCM Fadnavis who also holds the Home portfolio directed officials to fully digitise policing processes from filing FIRs to submitting chargesheets and emphasised the need to improve conviction rates through the use of advanced technology the PTI reportedAddressing reporters after a halfyearly conference with senior police officials on Monday he said ldquoThose who have served a minimum of three years in the C60 force that combats Naxalites will receive a medal The decision was taken todayrdquoThe conference reviewed the implementation of new penal codes technological adaptations and reforms discussed earlier at the DGIG conference chaired by Prime Minister Narendra ModildquoAt the DGIG conference states were given 106 action points and Maharashtra officials made presentations on the progressrdquo the CM said the news agency reportedldquoMaharashtra has nearly eliminated Maoist activity A total of 244 police personnel have lost their lives over the years in antiNaxal operationsrdquo he added praising the security forcesAI push and conviction rate targetsEmphasising the adoption of technology Fadnavis said Artificial Intelligence tools will be integrated into policingldquoAI is being used for tool creation and can also be used in filing FIRs and chargesheets I have tasked the Director General of Police with ensuring that the entire process from registering FIRs to filing charge sheets is completely digitised An evidence management system should be upgraded using blockchain technologyrdquo he said PTI reportedHe noted that the statersquos conviction rate has improved but remains around 50 per cent with a target of 95 per centConviction rates in sessions court trials remain lower he said adding that strategies were discussed to improve outcomesldquoAI will be used to analyse cases from the past four to five years with the Crime Investigation Department examining gaps to help formulate policies for improving efficiency and conviction ratesrdquo he saidRoad safety antidrug drive and crime monitoringOn road safety the CM said police interventions have helped reduce accidents citing a pilot project in Nagpur that brought down accidents by 30 per cent He added that accidents on the MumbaiPune Expressway have also declinedldquoDiscussions were held on national security and cyberspace A lsquodrugfree campusrsquo initiative will be implemented with a detailed strategy to be presented soon We will launch a strong drive against drugsrdquo he said PTI reportedFadnavis also said forensic case pendency has reduced but efforts are underway to enable realtime processingDistricts with higher crime rates will be graded and asked to improve performance over the next six months he addedldquoThe Director General of Police will felicitate highperforming officers while those lagging behind will be asked to improverdquo he saidAI tool to identify illegal migrants under developmentOn an AI tool being developed to identify Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the state Fadnavis said it is still under development at Indian Institute of Technology BombayldquoThe results so far are encouraging We will share more details once it is fully readyrdquo he addedWith PTI inputs