PM Modi In Odisha Sounds Alarm On Cybercrime And Deepfakes; Urges top cops to harness the 'double power of AI'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed concern over potential threats posed by digital frauds, cybercrime and AI technology, particularly deepfake technology, which he said could disrupt social and family relationships.

Speaking after the 59th All-India Conference of Director Generals and Inspector Generals of Police, Modi highlighted the need to leverage technology to ease the workload of police personnel and pleaded for making police stations the central hub for resource allocation.

According to an official statement released by PIB, the conference included discussions on border security issues of Bangladesh and Myanmar, urban policing challenges and strategies to counter malicious speech. Key topics covered also included national security threats such as terrorism, left-wing extremism, cybercrime, economic security, immigration, coastal security and drug trafficking.

Modi expressed satisfaction with the strategies developed during the deliberations, which covered both national and international security dimensions. The Prime Minister called on police leaders to turn challenge into opportunity by harnessing the dual power of India's artificial intelligence and ambitious India as a countermeasure to potential threats generated by digital frauds, cybercrime and AI technology.

In recognition of the significant steps taken in urban policing, Prime Minister Modi proposed to bring together and implement each initiative entirely in 100 cities. He initiated the expansion of the SMART police mantra and called on the police to become strategic, adaptable, meticulous, reliable and transparent.

The idea of ​​SMART policing was introduced by PM Modi during the 2014 conference in Guwahati. This builds on the original SMART framework, which aimed to make policing strict and responsive, modern and mobile, alert and accountable, reliable and responsive, technology-savvy and trained.

The conference also reviewed the implementation of newly enacted criminal laws, best policing practices and regional security developments. Highlighting the role of innovation, Modi hailed the success of hackathons in solving key problems and suggested organizing a national police hackathon to encourage creative problem solving.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister highlighted the importance of strengthening port security and called for the development of a future comprehensive action plan for this purpose.

PM Modi called to align with Viksit Bharat vision

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the formation of the Union Home Ministry and urged the country's security officials, from the ministry to local police stations, to honor the 150th Patel's birth anniversary by next year. He also encouraged them to set and achieve goals aimed at improving the professionalism, image and capabilities of the police.

Modi called on the police force to modernize and align with the vision of a Viksit Bharat (developed India) while laying out a road map for future reforms.

The three-day conference saw the participation of around 250 senior officers of the rank of Director General and Inspector General of Police, present in person, and over 750 others joined virtually. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also present.

Since 2014, the Prime Minister has played an active role in the annual conference, promoting open discussions over meals and informal sessions. These exchanges allow senior officers to share recommendations on critical policing and internal security issues directly with Modi.

Traditionally held in New Delhi, the conference was moved out of the capital in 2014 under Modi's leadership to bring in fresh perspectives and regional participation. Past locations include Guwahati (2014), Dhordo in the Rann of Kutch (2015), Hyderabad (2016), Tekanpur (2017), Kevadiya (2018), Pune (2019), Lucknow (2021), Pusa in Delhi (2023) , and Jaipur (January 2024). This year it was held in Bhubaneswar.

The scope of the conference has expanded significantly since 2014, moving from a primary focus on national security to broader issues such as crime prevention, community policing, law and order, and improving public perception of the police.

Officials noted that the decision to hold the event outside Delhi fostered a sense of unity among officers of different cadres and organizations. Shared housing and extended interactions strengthened collaboration and cohesion.

Direct engagement between the Prime Minister and senior police officials also resulted in concrete recommendations and a unified approach to addressing national security and policing challenges.

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