Uttar Pradesh: Administration, Governance, Law and Order and Security

This chapter answers the governance and security items of General Studies Paper VI (Uttar Pradesh): good governance, anti-corruption, the Lokayukta, e-governance, the right to information and grievance redress (item V.10); security in Uttar Pradesh, covering border areas, organised crime and terrorism (item V.12); and law and order with civil defence (item V.13). It also teaches the administrative structure that carries these out, from the State Secretariat to the tehsil. Several figures in this area are perishable, so each one is dated or sourced in its sentence.

1. The administrative ladder: division, district, tehsil

The State is divided into divisions, each under a Commissioner, and divisions into districts, each headed by a Collector, who is also the District Magistrate for law and order and the chief disaster officer. As of 29 October 2026, Uttar Pradesh has 75 districts in 18 divisions. District and division counts change when units are created or merged, so confirm the current figure on the State portal (up.gov.in) before quoting it. The Board of Revenue is the apex revenue authority and chief controlling authority for revenue appeals and revisions under the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006. Its principal seat is at Lucknow, and its judicial members may also hold courts at Prayagraj (Allahabad).

The revenue hierarchy below the Commissioner
OfficerLevelRole
CommissionerDivisionSupervises districts; hears revenue appeals
CollectorDistrictHead of district administration and revenue collection
Sub-Divisional OfficerSub-divisionBetween the Collector and the Tahsildar
Tahsildar and Naib-TahsildarTehsilRevenue and judicial functions at tehsil level
Revenue Inspector and LekhpalCircle, villageLand records; village is the base unit of land revenue
⚠️ Lekhpal is the village officer, not the Tahsildar
Questions swap the village officer with the tehsil officer. The Lekhpal works at the base; the Tahsildar sits above the Naib-Tahsildar and the Revenue Inspector, and is below the Sub-Divisional Officer.

2. Disaster management: who chairs what

The Disaster Management Act, 2005 builds a three-tier structure. Under Section 14, the State Disaster Management Authority is chaired by the Chief Minister, with up to eight further members appointed by him. Below the State Authority, the State Executive Committee, which drafts the State plan and implements the national plan, is headed by the Chief Secretary ex officio (Section 22). At district level, under Section 25, the District Disaster Management Authority is chaired by the Collector or District Magistrate, and the elected representative of the area is an ex officio co-chairperson. Civil defence is a separate matter: the Civil Defence Act, 1968, a central Act, governs the organisation, which the States run on the ground.

⚠️ Section numbers are the Act's, and they differ by Act
The central Act's Section 14 is the State authority, and Section 25 is the district authority. Do not carry the central numbering into a question about the State Act of 2005, whose own numbering differs; check the Act text before keying a section number.

3. Police organisation and special units

The Uttar Pradesh Police is headed by the Director General of Police; districts are headed by Superintendents of Police, and the largest cities by police commissionerates under an officer of Additional Director General or Inspector General rank. As of 29 October 2026, seven cities have commissionerates: Lucknow and Gautam Buddh Nagar in the first phase (approved January 2020), Kanpur and Varanasi (approved March 2021), and Agra, Ghaziabad and Prayagraj (approved by the State cabinet in November 2022). Check for later additions before quoting the count. The commissionerate combines magistracy and police in one officer, which is why it is a governance question as well as a policing one.

Special units of the UP Police
UnitFounding basisRemit
Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC)Merger of two forces in 1948Armed reserve for law and order, organised in battalions and companies
Special Task Force (STF)Formed May 1998 (commonly dated 4 May 1998)Inter-district organised gangs and mafia networks
Anti-Terror Squad (ATS)Set up in 2007, per the UP Police siteTerrorism intelligence; the tactical SPOT teams were added under it in 2017

The PAC's lineage runs to the United Provinces Military Police, raised in the late 1930s, which the police site says was merged with the State Armed Constabulary in 1948.

4. Good governance: grievances, rights and accountability

  • Time-bound services: the UP Janhit Guarantee Adhiniyam, 2011 (U.P. Act No. 3 of 2011, deemed in force from 14 January 2011) requires notified services to be delivered, or the application rejected with written reasons, within a fixed period.
  • Grievance system: the Integrated Grievance Redressal System (IGRS, also called Jansunwai) and the toll-free CM Helpline 1076. The helpline is run from a call centre in Lucknow and feeds the same Jansunwai backend; no launch date is taught here, because the sources checked did not agree on one.
  • e-District: a State Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan. The NeGD state directory (as of the consulted version, undated) says it is live in all 75 districts, with 323 government-to-citizen services of 47 departments; the directory does not date that count, so quote it as approximate.
  • Right to information: the State Information Commission was constituted under Section 15 of the RTI Act, 2005; the State Chief Information Commissioner and up to ten Information Commissioners are appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of a committee chaired by the Chief Minister.
  • Lokayukta: the Uttar Pradesh Lokayukta and Up-Lokayuktas Act, 1975 came into force on 12 July 1977. The Governor appoints the Lokayukta after consulting the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. Its jurisdiction covers public servants and ministers, while High Court judges and UPPSC members are excluded.

The pattern for examiners is simple: a grievance goes to a fixed clock (Janhit Guarantee), a helpline or portal (IGRS, 1076), an information right (RTI) or an anti-corruption body (Lokayukta). Each has a different legal basis, and an answer that names the instrument and its statute scores more than one that says only "e-governance".

5. Law and order: the legal instruments

When a magistrate must act at once to prevent a breach of peace, the power is in Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which took effect on 1 July 2024 and replaced Section 144 of the CrPC. An order ordinarily remains in force for two months, and the State Government may extend it by a further period not exceeding six months by notification. For habitual offenders, the Uttar Pradesh Control of Goondas Act, 1970 lets a magistrate remove a person from a district, and the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, 1986 (U.P. Act VII of 1986) deals with organised gangs.

The Uttar Pradesh Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was passed by the Assembly in July 2024 and provides for imprisonment and fines. News reports give differing penalty figures, so take any sentence or fine from the penalty section of the enacted Act, not from the press.

6. Internal security and the Nepal border

Uttar Pradesh districts that share a border with Nepal
RegionDistrictNote
WestPilibhit, Lakhimpur KheriTwo districts in the western stretch
EastBahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar, MaharajganjFive districts

The seven districts above form the Uttar Pradesh stretch of the India-Nepal border. Reported lengths range from about 550 to about 600 km depending on the source, so do not key a question on the exact figure. The Sashastra Seema Bal guards the open Indo-Nepal border, and the Ministry of Home Affairs took administrative control of the force in January 2001 on the recommendation of the Group of Ministers that proposed "one border, one force".

⚠️ The Nepal districts are not the Naxal districts
Mirzapur, Sonbhadra and Chandauli are not on the Nepal border, although they have been named in Naxal-affected lists. Keep the two classifications separate in a question.

Key takeaways

  • Divisions are run by Commissioners and districts by Collectors, who are also the District Magistrate; the Lekhpal works at village level and the Sub-Divisional Officer sits between the Collector and the Tahsildar.
  • Under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the Chief Minister chairs the State Authority, the Chief Secretary heads the State Executive Committee, and the Collector chairs the District Authority.
  • As of 29 October 2026, seven cities have police commissionerates, combining magisterial and police powers in one officer; the PAC, the STF (1998) and the ATS (2007) are the State's main special units.
  • Section 163 of the BNSS, 2023 replaced Section 144 of the CrPC from 1 July 2024; the Gangsters Act (1986) and the Goondas Act (1970) are the State's core instruments against organised crime.
  • The Janhit Guarantee Act (2011), the IGRS and helpline 1076, the RTI State Commission (Section 15) and the Lokayukta (1975) are four different governance instruments and should be named as such.
  • The seven Nepal-border districts are Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj; the Sashastra Seema Bal guards the open border.

Practice questions (16)

Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.

  1. In the district revenue hierarchy of Uttar Pradesh, which officer sits between the Collector and the Tahsildar?

    1. Sub-Divisional Officer
    2. Lekhpal, the village-level land-records officer
    3. Revenue Inspector, who heads the circle's land records
    4. Commissioner, who heads the division above the district level
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Sub-Divisional Officer

    The Sub-Divisional Officer sits below the Collector and above the Tahsildar. The Commissioner is above the Collector, at division level. The Lekhpal and the Revenue Inspector work at circle and village level, below the Tahsildar.

  2. Which body is the apex revenue authority and chief controlling authority for revenue appeals and revisions in Uttar Pradesh?

    1. Public Service Commission
    2. State Election Commission
    3. Board of Revenue
    4. State Finance Commission
    Show answer

    Answer: C — Board of Revenue

    The Board of Revenue is the chief controlling authority for revenue cases under the Uttar Pradesh Revenue Code, 2006. The other three bodies handle public appointments, elections and finances, and each is a different constitutional or statutory body.

  3. Under Section 14 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, who chairs the State Disaster Management Authority in Uttar Pradesh?

    1. The Chief Secretary
    2. The Chief Minister
    3. The Governor
    4. The Divisional Commissioner
    Show answer

    Answer: B — The Chief Minister

    Section 14 makes the Chief Minister chairperson of the State Authority. The Chief Secretary is the ex officio head of the State Executive Committee, a different body under Section 22, which is why the Chief Secretary option tempts candidates who mix up the two.

  4. Consider the following statements about disaster management structures under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
    P. The District Disaster Management Authority is chaired by the Collector or District Magistrate.
    Q. The elected representative of the area is an ex officio co-chairperson of the District Authority.
    R. The State Executive Committee is chaired by the Chief Minister.
    S. The State Executive Committee is headed ex officio by the Chief Secretary.
    Which of the statements are correct?

    1. P, Q and S only
    2. P and R only
    3. Q, R and S only
    4. P, Q and R only
    Show answer

    Answer: A — P, Q and S only

    P, Q and S are correct: the Collector chairs the District Authority, the elected representative is an ex officio co-chair (Section 25), and the Chief Secretary heads the State Executive Committee ex officio (Section 22). R is wrong because the Chief Minister chairs the State Authority, not the Executive Committee.

  5. In the first phase of the police commissionerate system in Uttar Pradesh, introduced in January 2020 along with Gautam Buddh Nagar, which of these cities was covered?

    1. Lucknow
    2. Kanpur
    3. Varanasi
    4. Prayagraj
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Lucknow

    Lucknow and Gautam Buddh Nagar formed the first phase. Kanpur and Varanasi followed in 2021, and Prayagraj was approved later, with Agra and Ghaziabad, in 2022. Candidates who remember the cities but not the phase will guess one of the later cities.

  6. Which two forces were merged in 1948 to form the Provincial Armed Constabulary of Uttar Pradesh?

    1. Railway Protection Force and Home Guards
    2. State Reserve Police and Civil Police
    3. UP Military Police and UP State Armed Constabulary
    4. Special Armed Police and Criminal Investigation Department
    Show answer

    Answer: C — UP Military Police and UP State Armed Constabulary

    The UP Military Police and the UP State Armed Constabulary were combined in 1948 into the Provincial Armed Constabulary, according to the UP Police website. The other pairs mix State and central forces or name units that did not merge into the PAC.

  7. The Special Task Force of the UP Police, formed in May 1998, was originally given which main remit?

    1. Supervising elections and polling booths in the State's border districts
    2. Acting against inter-district organised gangs and mafia networks
    3. Running the State's forensic science laboratories and their DNA units
    4. Enforcing excise, prohibition and gambling laws across the State
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Acting against inter-district organised gangs and mafia networks

    The STF was formed in 1998 to act against organised gangs and mafia networks, which is the remit the question names. The other three options belong to other State machinery: election supervision to the election machinery, forensic work to the forensic science laboratories and excise enforcement to the Excise Department, so none is the STF's remit.

  8. According to the UP Police's own website, in which year did the State government establish the Anti-Terror Squad?

    1. 1998
    2. 2017
    3. 2007
    4. 2016
    Show answer

    Answer: C — 2007

    The official site says the government established the Anti-Terror Squad in 2007. The 1998 date belongs to the STF, the 2017 date to the Special Police Operations Team formed under the ATS, and 2016 to the move of the ATS headquarters.

  9. Which State law fixes the time within which notified public services must be delivered, or an application rejected with written reasons?

    1. UP Janhit Guarantee Adhiniyam, 2011
    2. UP Right to Information Rules, 2015
    3. UP Lokayukta and Up-Lokayuktas Act, 1975
    4. UP Public Services (Reservation) Act, 1994
    Show answer

    Answer: A — UP Janhit Guarantee Adhiniyam, 2011

    The Janhit Guarantee Adhiniyam, 2011 makes the clock start when the application is submitted and requires the designated officer to decide within the stipulated time. The RTI Rules deal with information requests, the Lokayukta Act with corruption complaints, and the 1994 Act with reservation.

  10. Who appoints the Lokayukta of Uttar Pradesh, and after consulting whom?

    1. The Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary, after consulting the Speaker and the Advocate General
    2. The Governor, after consulting the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly
    3. The Chief Justice of India and the Chief Minister, after consulting the Speaker of the Assembly
    4. The Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and the Chief Secretary, with the Advocate General's concurrence and the Speaker's consent
    Show answer

    Answer: B — The Governor, after consulting the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly

    Under the Act as enacted in 1975, the Governor appoints the Lokayukta after consulting the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court and the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. The Chief Secretary and the Chief Justice of India are not part of that consultation. Check the current consolidated text, because later amendments to the selection procedure have been proposed and disputed.

  11. Which set of events is in correct chronological order?
    P. Lokayukta Act comes into force.
    Q. State Executive Committee of the disaster management authority notified.
    R. STF formed.
    S. Janhit Guarantee Adhiniyam enacted.

    1. R, S, Q, P
    2. P, R, S, Q
    3. S, Q, R, P
    4. S, R, P, Q
    Show answer

    Answer: B — P, R, S, Q

    The order is P (Lokayukta Act in force, 12 July 1977), R (STF formed, May 1998), S (Janhit Guarantee Act enacted, 2011) and Q (State Executive Committee notified, April 2016). The trap is the disaster-management Act of 2005: the central Act is older, but the State body under it was notified only in 2016, so Q comes last.

  12. Consider the following statements about the State Information Commission of Uttar Pradesh under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
    P. The State Chief Information Commissioner is appointed by the Governor.
    Q. The committee that recommends appointments is chaired by the Chief Minister and includes the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.
    R. The Commission may have up to twenty Information Commissioners.
    S. The State Chief Information Commissioner is appointed by the President.
    Which of the statements are correct?

    1. Q and R only
    2. R and S only
    3. P, Q and S only
    4. P and Q only
    Show answer

    Answer: D — P and Q only

    Only P and Q are correct. The Governor appoints the State Chief Information Commissioner and the Information Commissioners on the recommendation of a committee chaired by the Chief Minister and including the Leader of the Opposition. R is wrong because the cap is ten, and S is wrong because it is the Governor, not the President.

  13. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 empowers a magistrate to issue orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger. Which provision of the CrPC does it replace in substance?

    1. Section 107 of the CrPC
    2. Section 151 of the CrPC
    3. Section 197 of the CrPC
    4. Section 144 of the CrPC
    Show answer

    Answer: D — Section 144 of the CrPC

    Section 163 BNSS corresponds to Section 144 of the CrPC, which took effect on 1 July 2024 as the BNSS replaced the CrPC. Section 107 concerns security for keeping the peace, Section 151 the preventive arrest, and Section 197 the sanction for prosecuting public servants, which are close alternatives but different powers.

  14. Consider the following statements about criminal law in Uttar Pradesh.
    P. The UP Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act was enacted in 1986.
    Q. The Goondas Act predates the Gangsters Act.
    R. The UP Control of Goondas Act, 1970 allows a magistrate to remove habitual offenders from a district.
    S. The Gangsters Act was enacted before the Goondas Act.
    Which of the statements are correct?

    1. P, Q and R only
    2. P and S only
    3. Q and S only
    4. P, R and S only
    Show answer

    Answer: A — P, Q and R only

    P, Q and R are correct. The Gangsters Act is U.P. Act VII of 1986, and the Goondas Act (1970) predates it, so Q is true. S reverses that order and is wrong, because the Gangsters Act was not enacted first. The trap is that both are State laws against organised crime, which tempts candidates to reverse their dates.

  15. Which group consists only of Uttar Pradesh districts that share a border with Nepal?

    1. Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Maharajganj
    2. Bahraich, Gonda, Lakhimpur Kheri, Mirzapur
    3. Ballia, Ghazipur, Maharajganj, Shravasti
    4. Sonbhadra, Chandauli, Balrampur, Pilibhit
    Show answer

    Answer: A — Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Maharajganj

    The seven Nepal-border districts are Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj. Gonda, Mirzapur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Sonbhadra and Chandauli do not border Nepal, though some were named in Naxal-related lists.

  16. Which force guards the open India-Nepal border, and was placed under the Ministry of Home Affairs in January 2001?

    1. Border Security Force
    2. Sashastra Seema Bal
    3. Indo-Tibetan Border Police
    4. Assam Rifles
    Show answer

    Answer: B — Sashastra Seema Bal

    The Sashastra Seema Bal guards the open Indo-Nepal border, and the Ministry of Home Affairs took administrative control of it in January 2001. The Border Security Force guards the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders, not the Nepal border.