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Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Maha Kumbh: When faith met service, security & compassion
Prashant Kumar For crores of devotees, Maha Kumbh 2025 was a festival of faith but for Uttar Pradesh Police, it was more than an operational challenge. Maha Kumbh was a living, breathing test of how far our state had come — not just in technology or policing, but in the way governance could embrace faith without losing grip on safety and order. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now It began with a vision — Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's insistence that the Maha Kumbh should not be only divine in its spiritual essence, but also flawless in its organisation. He was not a distant figure in this process; he reviewed preparations personally, asked hard questions, and, most importantly, gave us the resources and freedom to act. From budget approvals to manpower allocation, nothing was stalled. The police force knew that it was entrusted with something sacred — not just to Hindu tradition, but to India's global reputation. Preparing for the World's Largest Gathering Preparations began long before the first holy dip. The planning maps were spread across tables for months. Every ghat was risk-assessed. Every approach road was simulated for traffic flow. Every conceivable emergency — from a stampede to a cyber intrusion — was planned for. We worked under a Unified Command System, where civil police, PAC, traffic units, intelligence teams, fire brigades, disaster response forces, and cyber experts moved like the many limbs of a single body. Over 25,000 personnel were mobilised, each trained not just to enforce discipline, but to understand the human and spiritual pulse of the crowd. Tech-Driven Policing from Land To Sky In 2025, the Kumbh was not policed by lathis alone — it was also managed by algorithms, drones, and real-time dashboards. At the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC), AI-based facial recognition cross-checked faces against missing-person databases. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Drone feeds mapped crowd density in real time. Heat maps showed where pedestrian flow might become dangerous. Body-worn cameras ensured transparency. GPS-enabled patrols meant no team was ever out of reach. Social media wasn't just a PR channel; it became a digital control room for grievance redressal and instant communication with pilgrims. People Behind the Mission Numbers and technology mean nothing without people. And here, the human element of the Uttar Pradesh Police shone brightest. The scenes on the ground reflected the dedication – a young constable, soaked in sweat, gently guiding an elderly woman through the crowd while carrying her shopping bag; women police officers, part of the Anti-Romeo squads, standing guard on the ghats so that women and children could move without fear. Cyber teams neutralised misinformation before it could spark panic. Intelligence units, invisible to the public eye, quietly dismantled threats before they could materialise. Discipline with a Human Touch The simple motto for the police was, "Tough in discipline, tender in approach". The same officer who might sternly redirect a dangerously parked vehicle could be found handing a water bottle to a weary pilgrim moments later. The same force that guarded perimeters also reunited lost children with parents at the 'Khoya-Paya' booths — often with tears in their own eyes. Mock drills ensured the police were ready for floods or medical emergencies, but compassion ensured that pilgrims felt safe enough to focus on their faith. Results Speak for Themselves By the time the last sacred bath was taken, no major law and order incident occurred. Thousands of missing pilgrims had been reunited with their families. Crores completed their pilgrimage without harm. It was policing, yes — but it was also service in its purest form. Collective Achievement Credit for the success goes to the Chief Minister whose trust empowered the police; to the govt which spared no expense; to officers, from constable to commandant, whose discipline never faltered; and to the citizens and saints, whose cooperation made the job of police easier. Lesson Beyond Maha Kumbh Maha Kumbh proved that when vision, planning, discipline, and compassion converge, even the world's largest gathering can run like clockwork. It was a civilisational achievement — and the Uttar Pradesh Police was privileged to be its guardian. Let the Maha Kumbh be a reminder that true governance lies not just in infrastructure or enforcement, but in the human touch that turns order into harmony, and duty into service. (The writer is former DGP of Uttar Pradesh)
Time of India
31-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Rajeev Krishna replacesPrashant as new UP DGP
Lucknow: Rajeev Krishna, who recently supervised the hiring of over 60,000 cops in UP Police as the chief of police recruitment board, was appointed as the new director general of police on Saturday. The appointment of the 1991 batch IPS officer Krishna to head India's largest police force was announced after a day-long suspense amid talks of the possible extension of the outgoing DGP Prashant Kumar . At present, Krishna was also the DG, vigilance, apart from heading the police recruitment board. He will continue to hold these posts. His retirement is due in June 2029. After instances of paper leak and subsequent cancellation of one of the largest recruitment drives ever last year, Krishna was given the charge of the board and he oversaw the smooth completion of the drive -- a process hailed for its transparency and efficiency amid mounting public scrutiny following exam leak last year. His appointment is being seen as a reward for this feat as he has superseded 11 other senior officers to get the coveted post. Prashant Kumar, when he was given the charge of the acting DGP in Feb 2024, was 18th on the seniority list of IPS officers. Like his predecessor, Krishna is the fifth officer to hold the position of acting DGP since 2022. The last permanent DGP in the state was Mukul Goel, who was removed three years ago. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like CFD: Invertir $100 con IA podría devolverte un segundo salario Digital Group Prueba ahora Undo Since then, DS Chauhan, RK Vishwakarma, Vijaya Kumar, and Prashant Kumar have served as acting chiefs. Earlier, Krishna has served as the DG of the Uttar Pradesh Police Academy, where he was responsible for training and mentoring new generations of police officers. Krishna has held several challenging field assignments, including postings as SP/SSP in Mathura, Etawah, Agra, Noida, and Lucknow. He was also the founding chief of the UP Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), where he laid the groundwork for counter-terror operations in the state. At the national level, Krishna served as inspector general of operations in the Border Security Force (BSF), where he oversaw operations along both the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh borders for four years. During this tenure, he implemented a sensor-based Comprehensive and Integrated Border Management System, enhancing surveillance and operational effectiveness along sensitive frontiers. In 2018–19, he served as the ADG of Lucknow Zone, managing critical law and order situations across central Uttar Pradesh. Prior to that, he was SSP Lucknow. Regarded as a forward-thinking officer with a strong focus on technology-driven policing, Krishna introduced several notable innovations. While serving as ADG of Agra Zone, he launched Operation Pehchaan, a mobile-based platform to identify and track repeat offenders. He also integrated online monitoring for women's beat policing and Anti-Romeo squads and introduced e-Malkhana, a system for digitising police case property records. Krishna also led the charge against cybercrime, initiating both awareness campaigns and advanced training programs for police personnel and the public. Born in Lucknow on June 20, 1969, Krishna holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. After clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 1991, he was inducted into the Indian Police Service. One of the most impactful chapters of his career was his tenure as SSP Agra in 2004, when he led decisive crackdowns against notorious kidnapping gangs operating in the ravines. Known for his strategic acumen and clean image, Krishna's appointment is seen as a move toward reinforcing both the credibility and modernisation of Uttar Pradesh's policing system.
Indian Express
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Month since launch, Delhi's ‘Shistachar Squads' detain over 6,500 for molestation, harassment
In a month since their launch, the 'Shistachar Squads' have detained 6,584 people for various offences such as molestation, harassment and eve-teasing, the Delhi Police said in a statement. In March, after a law and order review meeting by Home Minister Amit Shah, Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora formed the dedicated anti-harassment teams — aka 'Shishtachar Squads' — in all 15 police districts to curb crime against women in the city. According to the Special Police Unit for Women and Children, 1,055 drives were conducted between March 17 and April 24. These drives led to the detention of 6,584 people and the seizure of 275 vehicles. All districts were asked to form two dedicated squads of 12 members each. Senior police officers have now asked to tell the team members to attend a one-day training programme to understand their duties. Among the mandates for these squads were to enforce the law rather than impose personal or cultural morality on individuals, and ensure that the victims are protected from unnecessary public scrutiny or embarrassment, The Indian Express had reported. In its manifesto for the Delhi Assembly elections, the BJP had promised 'Anti-Romeo squads' in public spaces to check sexual harassment. The Uttar Pradesh government was the first to form such squads after Yogi Adityanath became Chief Minister in 2017. According to an officer, Delhi Police has been implementing multiple initiatives to curb crime against women, including sexual harassment and molestation, to foster a safer public environment and instill confidence amongst the vulnerable sections. To augment their efforts, police have decided to formulate district-wise dedicated 'anti eve-teasing squads' in all districts of Delhi Police, the officer said. These squads will comprise trained personnel who shall focus on preventing, deterring, and responding to such offences on a real-time basis, he said. The squads are supervised by an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) from the district's Crime Against Women Cell. The primary focus area of the squads is hotspots and vulnerable areas that pose risks to women's safety. Each squad will have one Inspector and one Sub-Inspector, apart from four female police personnel and five male police personnel (Assistant Sub-Inspectors, head constables and constables).
