Provide safety to foreigners

(MainsGS3:Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.)

Context:

• In order to provide a safe environment for tourists, the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), organised a conference in New Delhi on October 19, 2022. 
• It was organised with a view to “sensitise the specific requirements of the tourists for effective implementation of Uniform Tourist Police Scheme at pan-India level”.

NCRB data:

• According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Delhi recorded 27 cases of crime against foreigners last year, a drastic decline from 62 cases reported in 2020 and 123 in 2019. 
• Rajasthan has shown a sharp reduction in registration of crimes from 16 in 2019 to just 4 in 2020 and two cases last year, which could be attributed to the sharp decline in tourist arrivals due to COVID-19.  
• As many as 29 foreigners were murdered in the last three years and 14 foreigners fell victim to rape last year, 16 were raped in 2020 and 12 in 2019. 
• As many as 15 cases of assault to outraging modesty of foreign women were registered last year across the country, apart from 14 complaints of cheating.  
• While 142 cases of theft were lodged by foreigners in 2019, it declined to 52 in 2020 and further dipped to 23 in 2021.

Denting image globally:

• Crime against foreigners not only dents our image globally but could also adversely affect the inflow of foreign tourists, which is a vital source of income for our country. 
• Tourism happens to be one of the biggest foreign exchange earners for India and constant effort needs to be made to raise earnings. 
• While India’s earnings through tourism was $30.06 billion in 2019, it declined to $6.958 billion in 2020 due to COVID-19 and the resultant restrictions in foreign tourists entering the country.

Upgrade our security systems:

• With optimistic predictions of about 13.34 million foreign tourists arriving by 2024, there is a pressing need to upgrade our security systems specially to provide a flawless security blanket cover to foreign tourists.
• Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) has brought out a booklet on the tourist police scheme detailing the mode of setting up of tourist police stations and control rooms, outposts, uniforms, recruitment, qualifications, training and logistics requirements for tourist police stations. 
• As many as 25 popular tourist spots have been identified in the country where the tourist police necessarily need to be deployed to help foreigners. 
• As an incentive, a 30% deputation allowance has been recommended for the police personnel who join the tourist police on deputation.

Conclusion:

• While the setting up of tourist police stations is a commendable step to provide safety to foreigners, much needs to be done to instill a sense of security in them even before they leave their countries for India. 
• With theft being the most common crime committed against foreigners, all criminals in and around tourist spots need to be identified and kept under constant surveillance.