State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 30 Sep 2025

UP Records Lower Crime Rate than National Average

Why in News?

According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2023 report, Uttar Pradesh performed better than the national average in terms of crime rate per lakh population, despite having a high absolute number of registered cases.

Key Findings

• National Average vs. UP Performance:
  • India’s Overall Crime Rate: 448.3 per lakh population.
  • Uttar Pradesh: 335.3 per lakh population (over 25% lower than the national average).
• Uttar Pradesh Specifics:
  • UP, with a population of 24 crore, registered 7.93 lakh under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Special and Local Laws (SLL). 
  • The state ranked 11th among 28 states and 8 union territories in terms of crime rate.
• Comparison with Other States/UTs:
  • Kerala: Highest crime rate, 1,631.2 per lakh.
  • Delhi (UT): 1,602 per lakh population.
• Year-on-Year Comparison (2022 vs. 2023):
  • India 2022: 258 per lakh.
  • UP 2022: 171.6 per lakh (ranked 18th, with 4.01 lakh cases).
  • Kerala topped in 2022 as well (661 per lakh).
  • 2023 shows a significant rise nationwide and in UP, but UP remains below the national average.

National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)

• NCRB was set up in 1986 to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals to assist the investigators in linking the crime to the perpetrators based on the recommendations of the Tandon Committee, National Police Commission (1977-1981) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Taskforce (1985).
• It is part of the MHA and is headquartered in New Delhi.
• It also acts as a “national warehouse” for the fingerprint records of Indian and foreign criminals, and assists in locating interstate criminals through fingerprint search.
• The NCRB has four divisions: Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), Crime Statistics, Fingerprints, and Training.
• NCRB Publications:
  • Crimes in India, Accidental Deaths and Suicides, Prison Statistics, and Reports on Missing Women and Children in India.
  • These publications serve as principal reference points on crime statistics not only for police officers but also for criminologists, researchers, media and policymakers, not only in India but abroad as well.

17th Tribal Youth Exchange Programme

Why in News?

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed the 17th Tribal Youth Exchange Programme in Lucknow.

• The program, scheduled from  25th September to 1st October 2025, involves approximately 200 participants from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.

Key Points

• About: The 17th Tribal Youth Exchange Programme is a week-long initiative aimed at integrating tribal youth into the national mainstream, providing them with exposure to India's diverse culture, history, and development. 
• Objectives: 
  • Enhance Youth Aspirations: Provide youth from remote tribal areas in 12 districts across five states an opportunity to visit 24 diverse locations in India to understand the cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic diversity of the nation.
  • Exposure to Development Opportunities: Introduce them to technological, industrial, and skill development advancements, as well as education and employment opportunities, while raising awareness about welfare schemes.
  • Preserve Cultural Heritage: Sensitise tribal youth to their rich cultural traditions and encourage them to preserve and promote their heritage for future generations.
  • Build Self-Esteem: Foster emotional bonds among tribal youth from different regions, enhancing their self-esteem and creating a sense of unity.
  • Career Development: Provide interactions with key leaders, achievers, and experts, and offer career counselling, life skills training, and awareness of government schemes to support their personal and professional growth.
• Participants: A group of 40 tribal students from Kanker district, who were chosen from Naxal-affected villages, are also part of the 'Bharat Darshan' tour. 
  • These students will visit key cultural, historical, and educational sites in Lucknow and other locations.
• Organiser: Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) organises Tribal Youth Exchange Programme for the development of tribal youth with the support of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India.
  • The 'Bharat Darshan' tour is being organised by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) jointly.

UP to Achieve Full Agri-Stack Registration

Why in News?

The Uttar Pradesh government has instructed district magistrates to ensure 100% farmer registration under the Agri-Stack scheme, along with the completion of the Digital Crop Survey (DCS) and the farmer registry.

Key Points

• About: Agri Stack is a government-led digital foundation designed to bring together all stakeholders in the agriculture sector, improve outcomes for farmers, and enable new services through data-driven solutions. 
• Implementation: The initiative launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare is built on the India Enterprise Architecture (InDEA) 2.0 framework developed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
  • Agri Stack follows an open, federated model with State Governments at the centre of the design, ensuring inclusivity and collective participation in the sector’s digital evolution.
• Components:
  • Farmer and Farmland Plot Registries: A centralised database for farmers, linked to their farmland plot records for planning, advisory, and scheme delivery, with a unique FarmerID based on Aadhaar.
  • Unified Farmer Service Interface (UFSI): A system for seamless data exchange across stakeholders in the Agri Stack, enabling easy access for government, banks, agri-tech companies, and private users.
  • Crop Sown Registry: A registry for more accurate and efficient crop data collection using advanced technology (smartphone, drone, satellite), which aids in better crop production estimates by the government.

Shirish Chandra Murmu Appointed RBI Deputy Governor

Why in News?

The Government of India has appointed Shirish Chandra Murmu as the new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), effective  9th October 2025, succeeding M. Rajeshwar Rao.

Key Points

• About: Shirish Chandra Murmu, currently serving as the Executive Director at RBI, has been appointed to the post for a period of three years. 
  • He joined the RBI in 1991 and has held important positions such as Regional Director, as well as senior management roles in Banking Regulation, Currency Management, and Information Technology. 
• Function: In his new role, he is expected to handle key portfolios, including banking regulation, financial markets, and monetary policy.
• Appointment: His appointment was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).
  • The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by the Prime Minister with the Minister of Home Affairs as a member, is responsible for making senior government appointments.
• Structure: According to the RBI Act of 1934, the central bank is required to have four deputy governors: two from within RBI, one from the commercial banking sector, and one economist to head the monetary policy department.
  • The current deputy governors, in addition to Shirish Chandra Murmu, include T. Rabi Sankar, Swaminathan J, and Poonam Gupta.