{
  "type": "article",
  "title": "Constant Pressure Is Pushing the Police to Breaking Point, Says Begusarai Psychologist After the Bharat Tiwari Encounter",
  "summary": "The encounter killing of a young man named Bharat Tiwari in Bihar has put the police system under scrutiny. Psychologist Engineer R Shankar argues that relentless pressure and sleep deprivation wreck officers' mental balance, and the real fix is regular screening, counselling and stress management.",
  "content": "The encounter killing of a young man named Bharat Tiwari in Bihar has once again put the entire police system in the dock. Some are questioning this style of delivering justice through encounters, while others are viewing it through a social and political lens. A video tied to a policeman's role in the young man's death spread rapidly across social media, reigniting one stubborn question: what exactly is the cure for such police, such a system and such officers?\n\nThese days, sites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram are flooded with clips of police misconduct, and several of them are disturbing enough to unsettle anyone who watches. With such cases surfacing one after another, finding an answer has become urgent. Weighing in on this, well-known Begusarai psychologist Engineer R Shankar offered some important insights. R Shankar has delivered lectures on psychology in 150 countries, has worked extensively in the field, and has even authored a book on the subject.\n\nThe most pressured department of the century\nAccording to R Shankar, in today's 21st century the police is among the departments that work under the heaviest pressure. Wherever a problem erupts in society, the police are the first to be sent in. Yet it is easy to forget that officers are ordinary human beings too. They have families, children and a social life of their own. Under relentless stress, a person can sometimes take a decision in a single moment that they later come to regret.\n\nHe points out that officers often cannot get leave on time. Unable to spend enough hours with their families, and with weakening family bonds, their mental balance can suffer. On top of that, continuous duty leaves them short on sleep. R Shankar says that when a person does not sleep properly, the brain's efficiency the next day drops sharply, and this can hit memory, decision-making and behaviour all at once.\n\nWhy regular mental health screening matters\nR Shankar believes the first requirement is regular mental health screening for police personnel. The brain, he says, is nature's most complex and advanced creation, and yet it has not been fully understood even now. That is precisely why many officers struggle with stress, frustration and depression.\n\nDrawing a clear line between frustration and depression, he explained that frustration sets in when there is a wide gap between a person's expectations and reality. Depression, on the other hand, leaves a person persistently low, disturbs their sleep and appetite, and makes it hard for them to take sound decisions or behave normally.\n\nIdentify officers and arrange counselling\nSuch officers, R Shankar says, should be identified and given counselling. He argues that the police system needs an effective framework for stress management and mental health. Simply doing yoga or going for a run, he stresses, cannot be called stress management. It requires understanding what stress actually is, how it affects the brain, and how a solution can be tailored to each individual.\n\nIndia needs a solid setup like Western nations\nHe also noted that many Western countries already have systems for regular mental health checks, counselling and stress management. India needs to make such arrangements far more effective. Officers should get timely leave, adequate rest, full sleep, time with their families and regular mental health training. If such a structure is built, R Shankar says, the police system can become far better and more effective than it is today.\n\nWhat this means for you\n• Across India: If regular mental health checks and counselling are built into the police system, ordinary citizens could end up dealing with calmer, more balanced officers, improving the everyday experience at police stations.\n• In Begusarai/Bihar: Amid the questions raised over the local police system, this discussion spotlights the workload, leave and stress faced by officers on the ground, which directly shapes how the police treat people in the district.\n\nQuestions & Answers\n\n1. What is the Bharat Tiwari case?\nThe encounter killing of a young man named Bharat Tiwari in Bihar has raised major questions about the police system and this manner of delivering justice.\n\n2. Why was a psychologist's view sought on this case?\nAfter a string of police misconduct cases, the question arose of what the cure for such a system is, prompting Begusarai psychologist Engineer R Shankar to share his views.\n\n3. According to R Shankar, what largely drives officers' wrong decisions?\nHe says relentless stress, lack of timely leave, weak family bonds and insufficient sleep together disturb the mental balance of police personnel.\n\n4. What is the difference between frustration and depression as explained?\nFrustration arises when there is a wide gap between expectations and reality, while depression leaves a person persistently low and affects their sleep, appetite and decision-making.\n\n5. What solutions did R Shankar suggest?\nHe called for regular mental health screening of officers, identifying and counselling those who need it, and building an effective stress management system.\n\n6. Can yoga and running alone count as stress management?\nNo, he says yoga or running alone is not enough; one must understand what stress is, how it affects the brain, and how to tailor a solution to each individual.\n\n7. Who is R Shankar?\nHe is a well-known Begusarai psychologist who has lectured on psychology in 150 countries and has authored a book on the subject.",
  "url": "https://trendkia.com/en/bihar/kya-lagatara-tanava-pulisa-ko-pahuncha-raha-hai-tutane-ki-kagara-para-begusarai-ke-manovaijnanika-ne-bataya-asali-ilaja-3032",
  "category": "Bihar",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-25",
  "tags": [
    "Bharat Tiwari encounter",
    "police mental health",
    "Engineer R Shankar",
    "Begusarai",
    "Bihar police",
    "stress management",
    "counselling"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "site": "TrendKia"
}