Jaipur: Police records show important police stations such as Ashok Nagar and Chaksu have just one SI each. Bagru has two, Bhankrota three, and Vaishali Nagar — despite its size and caseload — has only three.“We have been facing a real and tough issue in Jaipur city of critical shortage of SIs,” a senior official said, adding that the continuous shortage was forcing the department into difficult staffing choices.Under police regulations, SIs are qualified to act as investigating officers (IOs) in important cases and function as the second-in charge of a police station after the station house officer. Their shortage directly affects how quickly serious cases can be investigated.Officials pointed to a combination of factors behind the crunch. Last year, several serving SIs were promoted to the rank of circle inspector (CI) after clearing a departmental exam, thinning the ranks at police stations even as no fresh batch was ready to replace them.At the same time, the promotion of assistant sub-inspectors (ASIs) to the SI rank — the usual pipeline for filling these vacancies — has been delayed.“Another matter is the continued delay in recruitment and promotion at the SI level,” a second senior Jaipur police officer said, adding that the process had been stuck for an extended period. The official said that on average there are just one or two SIs available.Compounding the problem is a set of ongoing litigations at various stages that have held up recruitment further. The SI recruitment exam of 2021 was scrapped after it became entangled in a paper leak case. A subsequent exam, SI 2025, has been conducted but remains stuck in different stages of the process, officials said, leaving no immediate relief in sight for the thinly staffed police stations.“The litigations are mainly pertaining to the Jaipur police commissionerate; in most other districts, the issues have been resolved. The commissionerate is also actively trying to find an amicable solution,” an official said, adding that the main reason for the shortage is not the promotions held last year, but the prolonged delays in recruitment to fill SI positions.As per Rajasthan Police’s own website, the force has a sanctioned strength of 4,850 SIs, but only 3,113 are currently in position.
