Supreme Court Calls Union Home Secretary for CCTV Compliance; Urges Adoption of Kerala’s Live‑Monitoring Model

The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu case on non‑functional CCTV cameras in police stations, ordered the Union Home Secretary to appear personally and urged all states to adopt Kerala’s live‑monitoring model. The bench highlighted gaps in implementation, budgetary concerns, and the need for a uniform dashboard system for real‑time surveillance.

The Supreme Court has taken a suo motu (on its own motion) initiative to address the lack of functional CCTV installations in police stations across the country. A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta directed the personal presence of the Union Home Secretary at the next hearing to facilitate uniform implementation of a live‑monitoring system, popularly termed the “Kerala Model”. Key Developments The Court ordered the Union Home Secretary to appear in person for the next hearing to assist in formulating actionable directions. Justice Nath questioned why other states do not emulate Kerala’s real‑time dashboard system, which allows police officers to monitor stations via mobile phones. Amicus curiae Sidharth Dave reported that while most states have installed cameras, only Kerala , Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have functional dashboards. Justice Mehta raised concerns about security and financial implications of replacing cameras allegedly installed by a Pak‑linked spy network. The Court reiterated earlier directives from Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh and noted persistent non‑compliance. Important Facts • The suo motu case was initiated on 4 September 2025 after a Dainik Bhaskar report on custodial deaths. • Earlier, the Court had ordered all states and UTs to install CCTV in every police station (December 2020). • Queries were sent to Rajasthan on 26 September 2025 regarding audits, footage preservation, and surprise inspections. • Kerala’s dashboard enables officers to log in via smartphones for live monitoring , reducing reliance on manual checks. UPSC Relevance Understanding the Court’s intervention illustrates the interplay between judicial activism and executive responsibility in internal security. The case underscores the importance of surveillance infrastructure in safeguarding human rights, a recurring theme in GS 2 and GS 4. It also highlights federal‑state coordination, budget allocations, and the need for standardised monitoring mechanisms—key topics for the Polity and Governance sections. Way Forward All states should adopt the Kerala live‑monitoring dashboard system and integrate it with existing command centres. The Union Government must issue clear guidelines on budget sharing (40% state, 60% centre) and procurement of tamper‑proof cameras. Periodic, surprise audits and forensic validation of footage should be mandated to prevent deliberate shutdowns. Establish a central monitoring agency to receive feeds from police stations, similar to road‑camera command centres, ensuring immediate remedial action. By addressing these gaps, the government can enhance transparency in police custody, curb custodial deaths, and strengthen internal security—objectives central to the UPSC syllabus.

The Supreme Court has taken a suo motu (on its own motion) initiative to address the lack of functional CCTV installations in police stations across the country. A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta directed the personal presence of the Union Home Secretary at the next hearing to facilitate uniform implementation of a live‑monitoring system, popularly termed the “Kerala Model”. <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>The Court ordered the Union Home Secretary to appear in person for the next hearing to assist in formulating actionable directions.</li> <li>Justice Nath questioned why other states do not emulate Kerala’s real‑time dashboard system, which allows police officers to monitor stations via mobile phones.</li> <li>Amicus curiae Sidharth Dave reported that while most states have installed cameras, only Kerala, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have functional dashboards.</li> <li>Justice Mehta raised concerns about security and financial implications of replacing cameras allegedly installed by a Pak‑linked spy network.</li> <li>The Court reiterated earlier directives from Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh and noted persistent non‑compliance.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> • The suo motu case was initiated on 4 September 2025 after a Dainik Bhaskar report on custodial deaths. • Earlier, the Court had ordered all states and UTs to install CCTV in every police station (December 2020). • Queries were sent to Rajasthan on 26 September 2025 regarding audits, footage preservation, and surprise inspections. • Kerala’s dashboard enables officers to log in via smartphones for live monitoring, reducing reliance on manual checks. <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> Understanding the Court’s intervention illustrates the interplay between judicial activism and executive responsibility in internal security. The case underscores the importance of surveillance infrastructure in safeguarding human rights, a recurring theme in GS 2 and GS 4. It also highlights federal‑state coordination, budget allocations, and the need for standardised monitoring mechanisms—key topics for the Polity and Governance sections. <h3>Way Forward</h3> <ul> <li>All states should adopt the Kerala live‑monitoring dashboard system and integrate it with existing command centres.</li> <li>The Union Government must issue clear guidelines on budget sharing (40% state, 60% centre) and procurement of tamper‑proof cameras.</li> <li>Periodic, surprise audits and forensic validation of footage should be mandated to prevent deliberate shutdowns.</li> <li>Establish a central monitoring agency to receive feeds from police stations, similar to road‑camera command centres, ensuring immediate remedial action.</li> </ul> By addressing these gaps, the government can enhance transparency in police custody, curb custodial deaths, and strengthen internal security—objectives central to the UPSC syllabus.

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