Why inexperienced IAS-IPS officers are being given charge of sensitive districts?

Jaipur: A sudden law and order breakdown in Tonk on Wednesday has sent shockwaves through the BJP-led Bhajan Lal government. The incident, which unfolded unexpectedly on the last day of election activities, escalated throughout the day and spiraled further out of control as evening fell. By night, the situation had turned chaotic, leaving the government struggling to regain control. The unrest has become a significant headache for authorities, and it remains unclear how long it will take to restore normalcy.

Initial reports suggest that the district administration and police system in Tonk completely failed in managing the crisis. There was also an evident failure in intelligence gathering, which left officials unprepared for the escalation. At the heart of the response was 2017-batch IAS officer Saumya Jha, who is serving as the district collector. Having held the position for only 10 months, the Wednesday incident was her first major challenge, and it highlighted her lack of experience in handling such large-scale unrest.

However, the bulk of the criticism has been aimed at the police and local administration, with many pointing to the inexperience of key officers. District Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Sangwan, an IPS officer from the 2018 batch, had only taken over his post 20 days earlier. While he previously served as a SP in Hanumangarh and Jaisalmer, his tenures there lasted only eight months and six months, leading to questions about his ability to effectively manage law and order in a sensitive district like Tonk. This lack of continuity in leadership has been a point of concern for local officials.

The failure of the law enforcement system on Wednesday was compounded by the actions— or lack thereof—of the local police leadership. When a slapping incident involving a man named Naresh Meena occurred around noon, the police failed to act quickly. While Collector Jha was tied up with election duties and could not immediately leave her office, there was no attempt to address the situation once she became aware of it. SP Sangwan, too, was slow to respond, arriving at the scene three hours later. Furthermore, even DIG Om Prakash who is serving as Ajmer range IG after the post was degraded from IG to DIG recently left his office at Ajmer after ten hours only after being reprimanded by authorities from Jaipur. Meanwhile, Meena, the key figure behind the unrest, used social media to call for gatherings throughout the day, further inflaming the situation.

Despite growing unrest, there was no attempt to shut down the internet or impose any crowd control measures. The police arrived late and unprepared, with little strategy to manage the increasingly agitated crowd. One of the most embarrassing moments came when Naresh Meena managed to escape police custody, further tarnishing the reputation of the local police force.

This latest incident follows a similar one just three months ago, when a mob attacked and injured Additional SP Ramkumar Kaswan in Tonk, forcing him to flee for his life. The government’s failure to learn from this earlier episode only adds to the growing frustration among locals and critics alike, who feel the administration is ill-prepared to deal with such situations.

The events in Tonk have raised serious questions about the process of appointing officers to sensitive districts. Observers argue that only experienced and capable officers should be entrusted with such important responsibilities, especially in districts where law and order are fragile. The failure to respond effectively to Wednesday’s unrest has led many to believe that the current system of posting junior officers without sufficient experience or training is contributing to the recurring issues of law and order breakdowns.

As the government grapples with the aftermath of the incident, calls for more careful and judicious posting of Collectors and IPS officers to sensitive districts are likely to grow louder. The ability to handle crises like the one in Tonk is critical to maintaining public trust and ensuring the success of local governance.