Law and order is often seen as the foundation stone of economic growth, of prosperity, investment, tourism, and of course, stability in any particular state.As Uttar Pradesh positions itself as a major investment destination and aims to become a trillion-dollar economy, questions around public safety, policing reforms, and citizen confidence have taken center stage.To discuss this crucial relationship between security and development, TOI’s Aditi Prasad talked to noted educationalist, and the former DG of police of UP, Dr Vikram Singh, under ‘UP Transformation 2026’ campaign.The campaign will run for 11 months and focus on building the narrative “Badalta UP, Badhata Bharat”.Speaking about the link between law and order and economic growth in Uttar Pradesh, the state’s director general of police (DGP) said the government’s policy of “zero tolerance towards crime and criminality” has played a crucial role in transforming the state over the past nine years.“Uttar Pradesh’s unprecedented success has happened in the last nine years because of zero tolerance towards crime and criminality,” he said. Referring to the state’s changing image, he added, “Uttar Pradesh was once known as the crime capital of the country. Today, the facts and figures speak for themselves.”The DGP pointed to growing investor confidence in the state, saying Uttar Pradesh has attracted investments worth over Rs 34 lakh crore.“There is now reverse migration, and the investment coming into the state speaks volumes about the confidence that captains of industry and financial markets have in Uttar Pradesh and its governance,” he said.Vikram Singh cited the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data to underline improvements in law and order. He pointed that robbery cases have declined by around 80 per cent, while incidents of dacoity have fallen by nearly 90 per cent.“The latest NCRB statistics show that murder cases have come down substantially, while crime against women has also reduced drastically, despite claims made by political opponents,” he said.The DGP also highlighted the success of Operation Conviction, launched in 2023, claiming that the initiative had led to over 1.2 lakh convictions.“From 2023 to 2025, unprecedented positive work has been done. There have been 1.2 lakh convictions and 79 death penalties awarded,” he said.Encounters subject to multiple layers of scrutinyResponding to questions about police encounters, the DGP said every encounter is followed by mandatory legal and administrative checks. He stressed that safeguards laid down by the Supreme Court are strictly followed.“Firstly, there is a magisterial inquiry. Then there is an investigation, and that investigation is scrutinised by the court of law. These three processes are mandatory,” he said.He added that if any party feels aggrieved by a police action, they have the right to file an FIR, including allegations of murder, which would then be investigated by a separate police station or agency.AI revolutionising policing in Uttar PradeshThe DGP also highlighted the growing use of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies in policing.“YAKSH is an AI-enabled application that has brought about a revolution in policing,” he said.The platform integrates criminal records, facial recognition systems, voice samples and crime analytics to help investigators identify suspects and patterns more efficiently.According to the DGP, these tools are significantly improving the police force’s ability to prevent and solve crimes, and could serve as a model for other states as well.
