Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today presented the President’s Colour to the Goa Police in Panaji, the capital of Goa. On the occasion, Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant, Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary of Goa, Director General of Police of Goa, and several other dignitaries were present.

Addressing the gathering, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that it was a matter of pride for him to present the President’s Colour to the Goa Police. He said that after eight decades of distinguished service, the Goa Police today stands alongside several other police forces of the country, proudly bearing the honour bestowed by the President of India. Shri Shah said that police forces of the states that have been awarded the President’s Colour have received this prestigious honour for their glorious history, professional excellence, courage, discipline and dedication. He said that Goa is a small yet extremely important state. With the formation of the state, the Goa Police was entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring a safe city, safe community and secure maritime border. He said that since the formation of the state, the Goa Police has successfully discharged all three responsibilities and made a significant contribution to national security.

Shri Amit Shah said that the foremost prerequisite for a developed nation is to ensure complete internal security and the security of its borders. He said that Goa has the distinction of being entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring both internal security as well as border security. He said that the responsibility of safeguarding Goa’s extensive maritime boundary rests on the shoulders of the Goa Police. Discharging this responsibility efficiently, the Goa Police has done commendable work in ensuring the safety and security of tourists and contributing to a strong economy.

On the occasion, the Home Minister paid his respectful tributes to the immortal martyrs who laid down their lives in the line of duty. He specifically paid homage to police personnel Balaram Shinde, Abhishek Sher, Shailesh Gaonkar and Vishwas B. Deykar, and said that their dedication had made a significant contribution to earning this honour for the Goa Police.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that India’s outreach in global diplomacy is expanding steadily with each passing day. He said that over the past year, the global diplomatic landscape has witnessed serious turbulence due to the Russia-Ukraine war, followed by the conflict involving Iran in the Gulf region. In such a challenging environment, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi travelled to 22 countries in a single year, while the heads of state of around 15 countries visited India. Shri Shah said that at a time when the entire world was grappling with economic uncertainty and struggling to sustain its economic growth due to global instability, India maintained its economic momentum through sustained dialogue and strategic partnerships. He said that concrete agreements were reached across a range of sectors, including defence, technology, energy, investment and trade.

Union Home Minister said that by 2026, India had concluded nine Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). These agreements have now been established as effective trade arrangements with 38 countries. The agreements with the United Arab Emirates, Austria, Australia, the United Kingdom, Oman, New Zealand and the European Union have given a fresh impetus to India’s trade. He said that this is reflected in the fact that India’s GDP growth rate reached a remarkable 7.8 per cent in the first quarter of this year. He said that India has not only achieved economic growth but has also contributed to the global community in several ways. These include Vaccine Maitri, sharing the achievements of its Digital Public Infrastructure with the world, and extending assistance to several countries in the areas of disaster relief and capacity building.

Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India’s diplomacy has today established a distinct position for itself on the global stage. He said that whenever a major global issue arises, the world now looks to the views and perspective of the Prime Minister of India on the matter. Shri Shah said that after a long interval, it is Prime Minister Modi who has restored this stature and recognition to India. He said that Prime Minister Modi has placed before the nation the resolve to build a Viksit Bharat by 2047. He said that the vision of a Viksit Bharat initially faced several challenges and skepticism, but, in a short span of time, it has transformed into the collective resolve of 140 crore Indians. He said that every Indian is now confident that by 15 August 2047, India will emerge as the world’s foremost nation in every field.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that with the expansion of the digital economy, the threat of cyber fraud is being felt across the world, and India is no exception. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has himself initiated direct dialogue with all the states to address this challenge. He said that in the coming days, the 1930 helpline number will serve as a strong shield against all forms of cyber fraud and provide robust security across sectors. He said that the Goa Police has taken a step forward in this regard by introducing an AI-based call agent for the 1930 helpline. In this initiative, the Goa Police is ahead of other states in the country. He said that the helpline will enable complaints to be registered in Konkani, Marathi and Hindi. At the same time, the service will also facilitate the registration of complaints in other Indian languages and route them to the appropriate authorities. Shri Shah said that a large number of tourists from across the country and the world visit Goa. Therefore, demonstrating his vision, the Chief Minister ensured that the AI agent was not restricted to Konkani and Marathi alone, but was expanded to include all the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. He said that this is an important and visionary step for the benefit of tourists as well.

Shri Amit Shah said that the Goa Police has been doing commendable work in every field since its inception. He said that excellence in sports has been a distinctive hallmark of the Goa Police. He said that the International Police Sports Championship will be held in India in 2029, featuring sporting events for police and fire services personnel as well. Union Home Minister called upon all personnel of the Goa Police to ensure that India does not lag behind in the medal tally at this prestigious event. He urged them to begin preparations from now and participate in the championship with full enthusiasm. He said that the Goa Police should prepare to excel not only in football but also in other sporting disciplines. He said that in view of Goa’s long coastline and its population of more than 15 lakh, it is extremely important for the police force to remain physically fit and agile. He said that sports are a powerful means of keeping police personnel physically fit, capable and alert.

Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that over eight decades, the Goa Police’s commitment and guiding motto of peace, service and justice have continued to make Goa safer. This is why the Goa Police has consistently earned appreciation not only from the people of Goa but across the country. He said that the response time of the police under the emergency service 112, which was earlier 18 minutes, has now been reduced to just 8 minutes. He said that this is a major improvement in the area of public service. He said that prompt assistance has been provided in nearly 20,000 calls, and expressed confidence that with the addition of more vehicles and two-wheelers, the response time would be reduced to less than six minutes. Shri Shah said that the Tourist Police Wing can serve as a model for other states with a high volume of tourism.

Shri Amit Shah said that three new Nyaya Sanhitas have been implemented to bring about a transformation in the entire criminal justice system. These codes incorporate aspects such as technology, sensitivity, prioritisation and the capacity to ensure speedy justice. He described this as a major upgradation of policing. He said that integrating the entire system — including jails, Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs), courts, advocates, police stations and hospitals — through technology and delivering justice on this basis is a major step forward. He said that the Goa Police remained ranked first in the country for several months in the implementation of the new criminal codes. At present, with 93.38 per cent progress, it ranks second in the country. The Goa Police has performed exceptionally well across all nine parameters. Shri Shah said that within just one year, the Goa Police has increased its conviction rate by 30 percentage points. The conviction rate was earlier 23 per cent; now, convictions are being secured in 53 per cent of FIRs, which is a major achievement.

Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to launch a strengthened campaign against narcotics in the coming days. He said that a roadmap for the period from 2026 to 2029 has been prepared for this purpose. Under this roadmap, the target is to make every village and city across India free from narcotics, with the participation of all concerned departments and all state governments. He expressed hope that the Goa Police will emerge as a leading force in combating narcotics as well.

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