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Rural Administration

The word rural denotes an area that is undevel- station is headed by the Station House Officer. In
oped or under developed. It refers to small other words, the SHO is the in-charge of the
settlements which are outside the boundaries of a police station. The SHO registers complaints.
city, commercial or industrial area and may Complaints are usually registered in the form of
include countryside areas and villages, where an FIR (First Information Report).
there is natural vegetation. The primary source of After registering the FIR, the SHO sends a
income is agriculture and animal husbandry. constable to investigate the scene of the dispute
Cottage and small-scale industries also form a or crime. The SHO may try to take help of the
source of income. Gram Panchayat or village elders in finding a
In India, a town whose population is below solution. The SHO can also go to the court to
15000 is considered rural, as per the planning reach a solution.
commission. First Information Report (FIR)

WHAT IS RURAL ADMINISTRATION? The first informa-
India is made of many states. The states are tion report means
further divided into districts. The districts are an infor mation
further divided into tehsils (sub-districts) and re c o r d e d b y a
talukas. Gram Panchayat is responsible for police officer on
looking after such areas, as further they have no duty given either
municipal board. by the aggrieved
Agriculture is the main occupation and lands are p e r s o n o r a n y
sometimes leased on long-term basis for cultiva- other person to the
tion, by poor farmers. Sometimes, land grabbing commission of an
by people who are powerful also takes place. To alleged offence. On
settle land disputes or discourage this practice, it the basis of first
is very important to maintain proper land information report, FIR
records. Records of the land are maintained by the police com-
the patwari. mences its investigation. Section 154 of the Code
of Criminal Procedure, 1973 defines as to what
The Role of Police Administration
amounts to first information.
The police have to ensure enforcement of law. It
Who can File an FIR?
also has to ensure peace and harmony in the
area. Police stations are present for every village. First Information Report (FIR) can be filed by any
A particular police station usually covers many person. He need not necessarily be the victim or
villages. the injured or an eye-witness. First Information
Report may be merely hearsay and need not
Station House Officer (SHO) : A police

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