In a glaring example of digital oversight, the official citizen portal of the Gujarat Police has come under scrutiny for its bizarre and outdated list of professions. Users attempting to file online complaints or access services are met with a drop-down menu that includes archaic and legally questionable options such as 'beggar,' 'mercenary,' 'vagabond,' and 'juggler.' This has sparked questions about the portal's maintenance and sensitivity, especially in an era where job profiles are rapidly evolving with technology.
A Portal Stuck in a Time Warp
The portal, which was initially set up in 2018 and became fully operational in 2022, requires citizens to enter personal details—including profession—for services like e-FIR registration for theft, domestic help verification, or filing general complaints. It is during this mandatory step that the peculiar list is displayed. The inclusion of 'relative/friend' as a profession suggests a possible translation error or careless data entry, while terms like 'vagabond' appear to have been copied without scrutiny.
More critically, the choices of 'beggar' and 'mercenary' are particularly problematic. Begging is not recognized as a formal profession in India, and mercenaries have no legal standing. This outdated menu stands in stark contrast to the contemporary job market, where roles in content creation and artificial intelligence are becoming mainstream.
Admission of Error and Promised Review
A senior police officer, familiar with the portal's development, admitted that the profession list was likely compiled by adapting templates from websites of other states and even foreign sources. "Some private parties were also involved in building the website," the officer stated. "So, there must have been mistakes while copying the profession categories."
The officer confirmed that the matter is likely to be reviewed, although no official timeline for corrections has been announced. The Director General of Police (DGP) Vikas Sahay was unavailable for comment on the issue.
Implications for Citizen Services and Digital Governance
This incident highlights a significant gap in the upkeep of crucial digital public infrastructure. While the portal itself is a step towards digital governance, such oversights undermine its credibility and user experience. Citizens are forced to select from inappropriate or offensive categories when seeking essential police services.
The persistence of this unchanged list through several updates over the years points to a lack of rigorous quality checks. As India pushes forward with its Digital India initiatives, ensuring that online portals are accurate, inclusive, and respectful becomes paramount. This case serves as a reminder that technology is only as good as the human oversight behind it.
The Gujarat Police now faces the task of not only correcting this list but also auditing its entire digital interface to prevent similar embarrassments and to ensure the portal serves all citizens with the dignity and efficiency they deserve.
