Police Commemoration Day in UP: 2.26 lakh recruited, commissionerates in seven cities
Paying tribute to police personnel on Police Commemoration Day, 21 October 2026, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said no one is above the law in Uttar Pradesh. He listed the State’s police reforms: over 2.26 lakh personnel recruited, the commissionerate system in seven big cities, a cyber police station in every district and women’s help desks at every police station, along with action against 88,973 criminals under the Gangsters Act.
- Date
- 21 Oct 2026
- Recruited
- 2.26 lakh+
- Commissionerates
- 7 cities
- Assets seized
- ₹15,000 crore+
Police Commemoration Day in UP: what happened?
UP has one of the largest police forces in the world, and every year on 21 October it remembers the men and women who did not come home. This year the Chief Minister also used the day to set out how the force has changed.
- The CM paid tribute to personnel who died protecting the nation, keeping peace and saving lives (HT, PTI, 21 Oct 2026).
- He recalled the Jawahar Bagh clash in Mathura on 2 June 2016, where officers died during an eviction drive.
- Over 2.26 lakh police personnel recruited; cyber police stations in every district; women’s help desks at every police station.
- Action against 88,973 criminals under the Gangsters Act; illegal assets worth over ₹15,000 crore seized.
What is the police commissionerate system?
- A Commissioner of Police gets magisterial powers (such as orders on public order and licences) that otherwise lie with the District Magistrate.
- UP brought it to Lucknow and Gautam Buddh Nagar in 2020, Kanpur and Varanasi in 2021, and Agra, Ghaziabad and Prayagraj in 2022.
- It aims at faster decisions in big cities.
- The rest of UP keeps the DM–SP dual system.
How do the two policing models compare?
| Point | District (DM–SP) system | Commissionerate |
|---|---|---|
| Magisterial powers | District Magistrate | Commissioner of Police |
| Decision speed | Two offices involved | Single chain of command |
| Check on police | Executive magistrate oversight | Internal and judicial oversight |
| In UP | Most districts | Seven big cities |
Which laws apply?
- State List Entries 1 and 2: public order and police are State subjects.
- UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986: allows attachment of property gained through crime.
- The State Government notifies a commissionerate and confers executive magistrate powers on the Commissioner of Police.
- Prakash Singh v. Union of India (2006): Supreme Court directions on police reforms.
What are the concerns?
- Allegations of fake encounters and custodial excesses draw court and NHRC scrutiny.
- Concentrated powers in commissionerates need strong accountability.
- Cyber crime is growing faster than trained staff.
- Workload and vacancies in a State of over 20 crore people.
What should be done next?
- Set up Police Complaints Authorities that work, as Prakash Singh directed.
- Train every district cyber station in digital forensics.
- Install working CCTV in every police station, as the Supreme Court directed in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh (2020).
- Keep recruitment regular and transparent.
What can Prelims ask?
- Police Commemoration Day: 21 October.
- UP commissionerates: Lucknow, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Kanpur, Varanasi, Agra, Ghaziabad, Prayagraj.
- UP Gangsters Act: 1986.
- Jawahar Bagh, Mathura clash: 2 June 2016.
- Police: State List Entry 2.
How to write about police reforms in UP in Mains
Practice question (10 marks, 150 words): Examine the reforms in Uttar Pradesh’s policing in recent years and the challenges that remain. (UPPCS GS-V)
- Intro: Police Commemoration Day, 21 Oct 2026.
- Reforms: recruitment, commissionerates, cyber stations, women’s help desks.
- Crime control: Gangsters Act action, asset seizure.
- Concerns: accountability, encounters, cyber gap.
- Conclusion: firm but accountable policing.
Image: A constable of Uttar Pradesh Police. Siddhartha Shukla, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Read all of October 2026 in the monthly UP current affairs compilation →
How to use this in Mains
If asked: Discuss the merits and demerits of the police commissionerate system. (UPPCS GS-V)
Quote: “With more than 2.26 lakh police personnel recruited, introduction of the police commissionerate system in seven major cities ... the state’s police system has become more capable, modern and accountable.”
Use it: Use the CM’s claim, then test it against accountability concerns.
If asked: Evaluate the use of property attachment as a tool against organised crime in UP. (UPPCS GS-V)
Quote: “Action has been taken against 88,973 criminals under the Gangsters Act, while illegal assets worth over ₹15,000 crore have been seized.”
Use it: Quote the figures, then add the need for due process.
Exam angle
UPPCS GS-V: police administration and law and order in UP; Prelims: commissionerate cities, Gangsters Act.
Practice MCQs
Original practice questions (not PYQs).
In which year did Uttar Pradesh first introduce the police commissionerate system in Lucknow and Gautam Buddh Nagar?
Answer (c) & explanation
It began in Lucknow and Gautam Buddh Nagar in January 2020.
The Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act was enacted in
Answer (b) & explanation
The Act dates from 1986 and allows attachment of property acquired through gang activity.
Consider the following statements:
1. UP now has police commissionerates in seven cities.
2. Prayagraj is one of them.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
The seven are Lucknow, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Kanpur, Varanasi, Agra, Ghaziabad and Prayagraj.
Questions students ask about this
What did the UP CM say on Police Commemoration Day?
That no one is above the law in UP and that police reforms have made the force more capable and accountable.
How many police personnel have been recruited?
More than 2.26 lakh, according to the CM.
Which UP cities have commissionerates?
Lucknow, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Kanpur, Varanasi, Agra, Ghaziabad and Prayagraj.
What happened at Jawahar Bagh?
A violent clash during an eviction drive in Mathura on 2 June 2016, in which police officers died.
Keep studying
Go deeper
facts from cited sources only; cross-checked; faculty review pending