Patna: The Bihar Police is to be awarded the President’s Colour, the highest honour conferred on a police or military unit in India, in recognition of what authorities describe as its long-standing service record and operational performance.
The distinction, which is awarded only once to a force and is also known as the “Nishan”, will entitle all personnel—from constables to the director general of police—to wear a special insignia on the left sleeve of their uniform.
The Union ministry of home affairs has formally communicated the decision to the Bihar government’s chief secretary. Alongside Bihar, the police forces of Odisha and Sikkim have also been selected for the honour this year.
Sunil Kumar, additional director general at Bihar police headquarters, said the recognition was “a matter of pride not only for the force but also for the people of Bihar”.
The award will mark what officials describe as the culmination of more than a century of policing history dating back to 1912, and is seen internally as a collective acknowledgement of serving and retired personnel, including those killed in the line of duty.
According to officials, the selection followed an evaluation process covering a range of performance indicators, including workforce strength, gender representation, emergency response systems such as Dial-112, cyber policing capacity, training infrastructure, recruitment processes and public outreach through social media.
The assessment also took into account previous awards received by the force, including medals for meritorious service and honours from the president and the Union home minister, as well as its record in tackling crime, corruption and responding to natural disasters.
