Come 2013, an FIR can be filed at the click of a mouse.
"Online registration of First Information Report will be possible" once server and network is established by the year end or early next year, Home Minister P. Chidambaram told the Rajya Sabha said on Wednesday.
Answering questions on police reforms, he said the Centre was against selection of Director General of Police of a state by Union Pubic Service Commission as has been directed by the Supreme Court in 2006.
The selection, he said, should be left to the states from among 3-4 senior officers. Centre and state are on the same page on this issue.
The Centre is also against giving a two-year fixed tenure to a DGP irrespective of retirement age as cadre management would become very difficult, he said. States too have expressed difficulty in following the direction, he said.
The Supreme Court had also directed constitution of a State Security Commission, separating investigating police from law and order police, setting up of Police Establishment Board at state level to decide transfers, postings and promotions of officers, and having Police Complaints Authorities at state and district levels to go into complaints against police officers, he said.
The Home Ministry has also filed an application for modifications in the judgement on certain aspects like direction stipulating a minimum 2-year tenure for DGP, he said hoping the apex court will strike a balance.
"As far as states are concerned, I doubt if their is a consensus in this House or the other House for implementation of police reforms," he said.
"I believe police is answerable to law. The police is not answerable to any man or woman," he said, adding civilian authority in administering law and order and public order cannot be removed.