Hyderabad: Even as Telangana registered one of the highest numbers of cases under the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) since it came into force on July 1, 2024, the state ranks among the lowest when it comes to its police force being trained in the new criminal law, official records show.According to latest data furnished by the Union home ministry in the Rajya Sabha, only 27,747 of the state’s total strength of 53,115 police personnel, have been trained in the new criminal laws till date – just a little over the 50% mark.In contrast, Andhra Pradesh has trained 54,764 of its 56,773 police personnel — more than 96% — while Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra reported training their entire police force in the new laws. The states have a police strength of 65,863, 87,277 and 1.8 lakh respectively.Nationally too, more than 90% of police personnel have been trained in the new criminal law, records how.Retired police officials raised concerns over this training gap. “Lack of familiarity with the new provisions could result in incorrect sections being invoked at the investigation stage, eventually weakening a case later. It could potentially lead to failures during trial as well,” said a retired inspector general-rank officer.Serving officials of Telangana police TOI spoke to, however, maintained that the majority of those involved in law and order have been trained in the BNS.“Not every police person is involved with investigation. The training has largely focused on investigating officers rather than all police personnel in battalions and the armed reserve,” said a top official. “Since the BNS came into force, we have been conducting regular training capsules for 100 to 200 personnel every week at the Telangana State Police Academy, besides sessions at police colleges. The training is an ongoing process to ensure the teams remain familiar with the new legal framework,” the official added.High caseloadThe state’s rate of registering cases under the new BNS Act, meanwhile, has been higher than most others. Telangana police have recorded 3.86 lakh cases under the new laws – up until July 17, 2026 – far higher than major states such as Karnataka, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.Also, the Union home ministry data reveals that Hyderabad is one of the major national centres for Bureau Of Police Research & Development (BPRD) capacity-building to modernize police forces, undertake research on crime and policing challenges, and improve training standards. The data shows that its Hyderabad outlying unit conducted 64 courses/webinars/seminars and recorded 20,162 participants, including police personnel and other stakeholders.
