: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said the Uttar Pradesh Police was “itself in crisis” before 2017, but has now emerged as one of the best forces in the country, asserting that “the rule of mafia no longer prevails” in the state.
He outlined the evolution of the state police as a decisive shift from systemic strain to institutional strength, while commending the increasing role of women recruits at the passing-out parade of over 57,000 newly recruited constables across different training centres across the state.
This transformation reflects sustained structural and functional reforms that have enhanced both capacity and credibility, he added.
Addressing the ceremony after inspecting the parade and taking the salute at the Reserve Police Lines here, the chief minister said, “Now, riots do not take place in the state, extortion and ‘goonda tax’ have ended. Criminals are fearful and the morale of the police is high.”
A key pillar of this transition, he said, has been the strengthening of manpower and training infrastructure, enabling large-scale, simultaneous training within the state—an indicator of improved institutional readiness. These changes, he added, are part of a broader modernisation effort aimed at aligning policing standards with contemporary security and administrative needs.
Alongside these reforms, the CM highlighted the increasing participation of women as a defining feature of the force’s evolving character.
He described the performance of female recruits during training as a reflection of growing professionalism, discipline, and commitment within the ranks.
Calling for a balanced approach to policing, he said,
“The law should be as strict towards criminals as it is sensitive towards citizens.”
He underlined that the transition from training to field deployment would test these principles, and expressed confidence that the recruits would uphold integrity, discipline, and public service while contributing to a more responsive policing framework.
Outstanding recruits were honoured during the ceremony, with women trainees featuring prominently among the awardees, reinforcing the chief minister’s emphasis on their growing contribution to the force.
The chief minister congratulated women personnel, saying, “Daughters have completed their training with strength, readiness and discipline, which is commendable.”
Highlighting recruitment efforts, he said that on June 15, 2025, Union home minister Amit Shah had distributed appointment letters to over 60,000 constables, whose training began on July 21 last year.
The chief minister said that in the past nine years, more than 2.18 lakh police personnel have been recruited, and over one lakh promoted, while the police budget has tripled since 2017. He added that seven police commissionerates have been established and the Anti-Terrorism Squad is being trained on the lines of the National Investigation Agency. Further, cyber police stations and forensic labs have been set up in all 75 districts, and women’s safety programmes are being run under Mission Shakti, with 20% of the current recruitment comprising women, according to the chief minister.
“More the sweat shed during training, the less the bloodshed later. The greatest strength of the police is its discipline,” Adityanath said.
Senior officials, including UP Director General of Police Rajeev Krishna, were present at the event, which marked the formal induction of the new batch into active service.
Women recruits dominate honours
Newly inducted constables received a morale boost as the chief minister presented awards to top performers during the passing-out parade.
Women recruits dominated the honours list, with Neha Yadav emerging as the standout performer, securing three awards including the overall best cadet distinction. Sonam won two awards, while Riya Singh Kushwaha received one.
Neha Yadav also led the parade as the first parade commander, followed by Riya Singh Kushwaha as second commander and Kumari Sonam as third.
In academic performance, Neha Yadav topped the overall indoor segment, while Sonam secured the top position in the outdoor category.
Director general of police Rajeev Krishna administered the oath to the newly passed-out constables and presented a memento to the chief minister during the ceremony.
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