India cannot be a safe and secure country and cannot grow into a developed nation unless its internal security system is strong, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.

The home minister was speaking at the 70th passing out parade of Indian Police Service (IPS) probationers at Lal Bahadur Sastry National Police Academy in Hyderabad. As many as 92 IPS officers from various parts of India, besides six police officers from Nepal and five from Bhutan police passed out their training at the NPA.Shah said the IPS officers had a major role to play in maintaining the internal security in the country.

 “Our country isfacing threat from extremists, narcotic smugglers and cyber criminals, besides terrorists sponsored by neighbouring countries. As IPS officers, you will haveto face all these tough challenges ahead in your career. Unless the internalsecurity is maintained, the nation cannot be safe,” he said.

Shah also reminded the task envisaged by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi to make India a five billion dollar-strong economy in the nextthree years. “To achieve this goal, India has to have a strong law and orderand there should be peace and traquility,” he said.

The home minister recalled Modi’s call for a “smart”policing in the country. “You should be sensitive, moral, alert, responsive andtechno-savvy. As a police officer, you will get a lot of opportunities to proveyour abilities,” he said.

Calling upon the IPS officers to uphold the Constitution ofIndia, Shah said there might be certain situations when they face troubles withregard to interpretation of the Constitution. “My suggestion is that you shouldfollow the spirit of the Constitution and implement the same,” he said.

Stating that the real challenges for the IPS officers had begun with the completion of training, the home minister said they shouldstrive to keep the country Samruddh (strong), Sikshit (well-trained) andSurakshit (secure).“Most of you have come from poor and middle classback grounds and so, you should protect the interests of the poor anddowntrodden sections and bring them on to the path of progress and development.You should always be in accessible the people (Sampark), interact with them(Samvad) and have coordination with your subordinates (Samanvay),” he said.

Shah also asked the IPS probationers to keep in mind the sacrifices of 33,000 brave soldiers and policemen who were martyred in protecting the nation from internal and external threats.Shah paid glorious tributes to first home minister of the country Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel, who played a big role in integrating Hyderabad with Indian Union, like he had done with 630 other princely states post-independence.

“He also got Jammu and Kashmir merged with India, but there was a still a line of separation in the form of Article 370. But, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the article has now been abrogated making Jammu and Kashmir an integral part of India completely,” he said.