Police Commemoration Day 2026: Shah pays tribute, sets drug-free India target of 2029
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On Police Commemoration Day, 21 October 2026, Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid tribute at the National Police Memorial in New Delhi to police personnel who died on duty. He recalled that India was declared free of Naxalism on 31 March 2026, asked all forces to work for a ‘Nasha Mukt Bharat’ by 31 December 2029, and flagged off a nationwide ‘Fight Against Drugs’ motorcycle rally.
- Observed
- 21 October
- Origin
- Hot Springs, Ladakh, 1959
- Drug-free target
- 31 Dec 2029
- Naxal-free
- 31 Mar 2026
Police Commemoration Day 2026: what happened?
On 21 October 1959, ten CRPF men fell at Hot Springs in Ladakh resisting an attack by Chinese troops. Every year since, this day honours every police officer who has died on duty. This year the Home Minister used it to set the next big target: drugs.
- Shah said that from 1981 to March 2026, over 3,600 security personnel and nearly 13,700 civilians died due to Naxalism (PIB, 21 Oct 2026).
- He said Kashmir, the North-East and LWE areas, the three old hotspots, are now on the path of peace.
- MHA target: free the country from drugs by 31 December 2029.
- About 90 riders from States, CAPFs, RPF, NDRF and NIA will ride to Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, for the Ekta Parade-2026.
What is the National Police Memorial?
- Located in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi; inaugurated by the Prime Minister in 2018.
- It honours police personnel of all States and central forces who died on duty since Independence.
- Hot Springs is in the Chang Chenmo valley of eastern Ladakh.
- Police Commemoration Day is observed every year on 21 October.
State police and central forces: who does what?
| Point | State police | CAPFs |
|---|---|---|
| Constitutional basis | State List Entries 1 and 2 (public order, police) | Union List Entry 2A (deployment in States) |
| Controlled by | State government | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Examples | Civil and armed police of each State | CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB, CISF, Assam Rifles |
| Main role | Law and order, crime | Border guarding, internal security support |
Which laws apply?
- Seventh Schedule: police and public order are State subjects; Article 355 makes the Union protect States against internal disturbance.
- NDPS Act, 1985: the main law against narcotics; enforced by the NCB and State police.
- Police Act, 1861 still governs many States; Prakash Singh (2006) ordered police reforms.
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 now lays down criminal procedure.
What are the challenges?
- Police vacancies and long duty hours, as Shah noted, with no festival holidays.
- Drug trafficking linked to terror finance and cross-border routes.
- Slow implementation of Prakash Singh reforms in many States.
- Synthetic drugs and darknet sales are hard to track.
What should be done next?
- Implement the Nasha Mukt Bharat roadmap through district-level plans.
- Fill vacancies and improve housing and health for police families.
- Build cyber and forensic capacity to trace drug money.
- Complete police reforms on tenure, accountability and complaints.
What can Prelims ask?
- Police Commemoration Day: 21 October, since the Hot Springs incident of 1959.
- National Police Memorial: Chanakyapuri, inaugurated 2018.
- Police: State List Entry 2.
- NDPS Act: 1985.
- Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (Ekta Parade): 31 October.
How to write about police and internal security in Mains
Practice question (10 marks, 150 words): ‘Police are the first and last line of internal security.’ Discuss the challenges before Indian police and the reforms needed. (GS-III)
- Intro: Police Commemoration Day, 21 Oct 2026; Hot Springs 1959.
- Achievements claimed: LWE-free March 2026; peace in Kashmir, North-East.
- Challenges: drugs, vacancies, workload, cyber crime.
- Reforms: Prakash Singh directions, modernisation.
- Conclusion: people-friendly, accountable policing.
Image: Wall of names at the National Police Memorial, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. Pinakpani, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
How to use this in Mains
If asked: Discuss the linkages between drug trafficking and internal security. (GS-III)
Quote: “Drug abuse and trafficking undermine the future of coming generations, place an unnecessary burden on the economy and often provide financial support to organisations with anti-national intentions.”
Use it: Use it to frame the drug-terror link, then add NDPS Act and NCB.
If asked: Examine the role of CAPFs in India’s internal security. (GS-III)
Quote: “Police personnel are the first and last line of defence for internal security.”
Use it: Quote it and illustrate with elections, borders and LWE operations.
Exam angle
Prelims: Hot Springs, National Police Memorial, State List entries, NDPS Act. · Mains GS-III: police reforms and narcotics.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
Police Commemoration Day is observed on 21 October to remember an incident in 1959 at
Answer (b) & explanation
On 21 October 1959, 10 CRPF personnel died at Hot Springs in Ladakh resisting Chinese troops.
Under the Seventh Schedule, ‘Police’ is a subject in the
Answer (b) & explanation
Police is Entry 2 and public order Entry 1 of the State List.
Consider the following statements:
1. The National Police Memorial is in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
2. The NDPS Act was enacted in 1985.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Both are correct.
Questions students ask about this
Why is Police Commemoration Day on 21 October?
To honour 10 CRPF personnel who died at Hot Springs, Ladakh, on 21 October 1959, and all police who died on duty.
Where is the National Police Memorial?
In Chanakyapuri, New Delhi.
What target did the Home Minister set?
A drug-free India by 31 December 2029.
Where is the motorcycle rally going?
To Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, for the Ekta Parade-2026.
Keep studying
Go deeper
Official source: PIB, 21 Oct 2026: Union Home Minister pays tribute to police personnel at National Police Memorial on Police Commemoration Day
facts from cited sources only; faculty review pending