AMN /
President Pranab Mukherjee has said that Indian Penal Code, IPC requires a thorough revision to meet the needs of the 21st century. He said that the IPC has undergone very few changes in the last 155 years and very few crimes have been included in the initial list of crimes and declared punishable.
Mr Mukherjee said even now, there are offences in the code which were enacted by the British to meet their colonial needs.
The President was addressing the valedictory event of the year-long celebrations of the 155th anniversary of IPC at Kochi in Kerala on Friday.
Mr Mukherjee also said the ‘Rule of Law’ is the cardinal principle on which a modern state rests and it has to be upheld at all times.
He said, it is incumbent on the law enforcing agencies, particularly the police force, to fulfill its foremost duty of maintaining law and order sincerely and with dedication.
Mr Mukherjee also said police must also be a proactive partner in growth and development.
He said, the founding fathers of our Constitution had conceived inclusiveness, tolerance, self-restraint, honesty, discipline, respect and protection of women, senior citizens and weaker sections as essential ingredients of our democracy.
The President said, our police force must incorporate these features in its functioning.
He also said the emerging threat and challenge from cyber crimes calls for a proactive response from law enforcement agencies.
The IPC came into operation from January 1, 1862.