The Primary purpose of the Academy is to prepare leaders for the Indian Police, who will lead/command the force with courage, uprightness, dedication and a strong sense of service to the people.

Academy will endeavour to inculcate in them, such values and norms as would help them serve the people better. In particular, it will try to inculcate integrity of the highest order, sensitivity to aspirations of people in a fast changing social and economic milieu, respect for human rights, broad liberal perspective of law and justice, high standard of professionalism, physical fitness and mental alertness.

The Academy will be a focal point for training of the trainers of police training institutions all over the country and will provide consultancy services to sister training institutions for improving their management of training.

The Academy will be a centre for research studies on police subjects and will expand its resource base through tie-ups with similar institutions in and outside the country.
                                                                                                                                                                     

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was born in Gujarat in the year 1875. He studied law in England but returned to India(1915) and practiced in Ahmadabad. Influenced by the nationalist leader Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, he joined the Civil Disobedience Movement and successfully organized (1928) the landowners of Bardoli against British tax increases. In 1931 he served as president of the Indian National Congress. The British imprisoned Patel a number of times for his activities. As Minister of States,Home minister and Deputy Prime Minister, Patel adroitly achieved the peaceful integration of the princely Indian states into the Union.

The Academy has been named after this former Deputy Prime Minister of India (1947 - 1950) who was the man responsible for creation of the All India Services and also for establishing a training institutionto train IPS officers.

The National Police Academy (NPA), trains officers of the Indian Police Service, who have been selected through an All India based Civil Services Examination. The trained officers will be posted as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in their respective states under whom the other sub-ranks of police force will be working. The recruitment of sub-ranks such as Constables,Sub-Inspectors, Deputy Superintendents of Police is each states prerogative, and will be done by respective state Director Generals of Police. The IPS cadre is controlled by the Home Ministry of the Government of India and the officer of this service can only be appointed removed by an order of the President of India.

Apart from the Basic Training Course for IPS officers the Academy also conducts Compulsory Mid Career Training Programme for officers of SP., DIG. and IG/Addl DG levels of the Indian Police Service; Training of Trainers' Courses for the trainers of various police training institutions in the country; IPS Induction Training Course for State Police Service Officers; and short specialised thematic Courses, Seminars and Workshops on professional subjects for all levels of police officers. Foreign police officers and other officers belonging to Army/IAS/IFS/Judiciary, Public Sector Undertakings, Nationalised Banks, Insurance Companies etc. also attend various specialised courses conducted here from time to time. The Academy is affiliated to Osmania University for conducting courses on police subjects for IPS officers.

The Academy is headed by a Director, an IPS. Officer of the rank of Director General of Police and assisted by two Joint Directors of the rank of Inspector General of Police, 5 Deputy Directors of the rank of DIG of Police, and 13 Assistant Directors. The 13 Assistant Directors include 8 IPS/SPS officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police from state cadres, a Forensic Scientist, a Judicial Service Officer, a specialist each in Training Methodology, Computers and Wireless. The sanctioned strength of the faculty also includes a Professor in Management, a Reader in Behavioural Sciences, a Reader in Teaching Methodology, 2 Medical Officers, a Junior Scientific Officer, a Hindi Instructor, a Photographic Officer and a Chief Drill Instructor. The supporting staff include administrative, ministerial and medical staff and other Group D employees. Total staff strength is 427.
 

A high level Academy Board comprising senior civil/police officers, eminent educationists etc. as its members is headed by the Union Home Secretary. The Board periodically reviews inter-alia the syllabi and training methodology of various courses conducted in the Academy.

In recognition of the outstanding achievements of the academy and its service to the Nation, the Academy received the President's Colours on its 40th Anniversary on September 15, 1988.

National Police Academy (NPA) is located in Hyderabad, the capital of the Andhra pradesh in India and spread over 275 acres of land.

  * 10 Kms from Air Port
  * 14 Kms from Nampally Railway Station
  * 10 Kms from Central Bus Station.