‘UP Police sets a new benchmark in security & crowd mgmt’

Lucknow: "Once infamous for its lawlessness, Uttar Pradesh underwent a remarkable transformation in policing and governance. This evolution was on full display at the Maha Kumbh Mela, where over 64 crore pilgrims gathered in Prayagraj. It became a testament to modern law enforcement, technology-driven policing, and proactive governance", said OP Singh, IPS officer and director general of the Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau.
Singh, who visited Prayagraj to take a holy dip at Sangam, described UP's turnaround as nothing short of historic.
"For decades, UP bore the reputation of being India's most lawless state. Crime syndicates operated freely, gangsters entered politics with ease, and law enforcement often found itself powerless," Singh said. "Yet, today, we see a state where governance and policing have aligned to create one of the most effective security ecosystems in the country," he told TOI.
Organising a mega-event like Maha Kumbh is not just about deploying manpower—it is about strategic intelligence-led policing. Managing such a massive influx of people required an innovative approach to crowd control, threat mitigation, and real-time crisis response, said the officer. "The UP Police deployed over 2,700 AI-powered cameras, real-time biometric tracking, and drone surveillance to anticipate congestion points, identify risks, and prevent disruptions before they could escalate. This shift from reactive policing to predictive policing is what defines modern law enforcement. Surveillance today is no longer just about monitoring—it is about anticipating threats, pre-empting chaos, and deploying resources with precision," he said.
Singh said that for states grappling with urban crime, insurgency, or large-scale unrest, UP's model presents a clear case for technology-driven policing. Big data, predictive analytics, and real-time monitoring are no longer optional; they are essential.
Few regions in the world face the law-and-order challenges that Uttar Pradesh does. With a population larger than Brazil's, ensuring security is not just about having a large police force—it requires an entire ecosystem of coordination.
The success of Maha Kumbh's security framework was a result of seamless collaboration between intelligence agencies, local administrations, emergency response teams, and law enforcement.
UP Police identified this early and developed specialised cybercrime units to tackle emerging digital threats. During the Maha Kumbh, UP Police took swift action against 140 social media accounts spreading false narratives, ensuring that misinformation didn't lead to real-world panic.
UP's success in organising the Maha Kumbh safely proves that even the most entrenched law-and-order crises can be reversed when governance, strategy, and technology converge. While challenges remain, the state has shown that transformation is possible. The question for other states now is not whether change can happen—but whether they have the will to make it happen.