Muslims severely underrepresented in India’s top police ranks, new book reveals
New Delhi, February 20 (KMS): The representation of Muslims among India’s top police leadership, including Directors-General of Police (DGPs), Commissioners of Police (CPs), and Superintendents of Police (SPs), remains strikingly low across the country.
According to Kashmir Media Service, these findings are highlighted in the new book titled ‘At the Bottom of the Ladder: State of the Indian Muslims’ by Mohammed Abdul Mannan. The book quantifies Muslim presence in 150 key organisations, including Indian ministries, departments, and other organisations.
The data shows that, until now, there have been only 27 Muslims among 1,001 DGPs India-wide, accounting for just 2.69%. Alarmingly, nine Indian states, including Delhi, Haryana, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu, have never had a Muslim DGP. In union territories like, Puducherry and Lakshadweep, only two Muslims have served as police chiefs out of 38 and 24, respectively.
Similarly, there have been only seven Muslims of the 294 chiefs of police academies (2.38%), mostly DGP-rank officials. Among 10,445 SPs across India, just 301 (2.88%) have been Muslims till the end of 2024. Currently, there are 68 Muslims among 1,884 SPs and Additional SPs (3.61%). By March 2025, India had a total of 780 administrative districts. Most districts have an SP and an Additional SP in their administrative set-up, next to collectors and district magistrates.
The 2011 census indicates that Muslims constitute approximately 14.2% of India’s population. The stark contrast between population share and their representation in policing leadership reveals systemic exclusion. Observers say this gap reflects broader patterns of marginalisation in India, where Muslims face political, social, and economic disadvantages.
