State PCS - Uttar Pradesh (UP PCS)

• 12 Aug 2025

Bijnor Jail Honors Sachindranath Bakshi

Why in News? 

Sachindranath Bakshi, an unsung hero of the Kakori Train Action, has been honored at his memorial in Bijnor Jail, where he was once imprisoned after being sentenced to life imprisonment. 

• The memorial, named ‘Smritika’, was inaugurated on 11th August 2023 and includes a statue of Bakshi, along with the engraved names of 419 freedom fighters who were held in the jail during the British era. 

Key Points 

• Role in Kakori Train Action  (9th August 1925): Bakshi, alongside revolutionaries Ashfaqullah Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad and Rajendra Lahiri, played a pivotal role in the 1925 Kakori Train Action, where they looted the British treasury for the cause of India’s independence (procuring arms). 
  • He attacked the guard's compartment and seized a chest of money. 
• Bakshi’s Contribution: He had purchased the tickets and pulled the emergency chain, leading to the revolutionary act. 
• Bakshi’s Legacy: After his arrest, Bakshi was sentenced to life imprisonment, unlike his fellow revolutionaries who were executed.  
  • His memoir, ‘Kranti Ke Path Par’, reflects his emotional turmoil about the disparity in their fates. 
  • Later, he was released and continued to participate in politics after India’s independence. 
• Historical Insight: He led protests and hunger strikes (53 days) to demand recognition for freedom fighters as political prisoners. 

Sachindranath Bakshi 

 

• Born: 25th December 1904 (Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh) 
• Death: 23rd November 1984 (Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh) 
• Role: Prominent freedom fighter, founder of Hindustan Republican Army (HRA) 
• HRA Formation: 1924, aimed at armed struggle against British colonial rule 
• Initial Contributions: 
  • Propagated HRA ideals in Varanasi. 
  • Moved to Jhansi to expand HRA’s base. 

Kannauj FSL Achieves ISO 9001:2015 Certification

Why in News? 

The Kannauj Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Uttar Pradesh has become the first laboratory in the state to receive the prestigious ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification.  

Key Points 

• About: On 8 August 2025, the certificate was formally presented to Rajeev Krishna, the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, by Naveen Arora, Additional Director General of Police, Technical Services Headquarters. 
  • The certification recognizes the laboratory's high standards in forensic examinations and analysis, which significantly supports law enforcement agencies in the region. 
  • The laboratory made significant improvements across various operational areas, such as upgraded equipment, storage, staff services, sample collection, and audits to meet ISO 9001:2015 standards. 
• Significance: The certification not only strengthens the operational framework of the Kannauj laboratory but also increases the credibility of the forensic evidence it provides in judicial proceedings.

Forensic Laboratories in UP 

• As of mid-2025, Uttar Pradesh (UP) has a total of 12 (Lucknow, Varanasi, Agra, and Ghaziabad, Jhansi, Kannauj, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, Bareilly, Gonda, Aligarh, and Moradabad) operational forensic science laboratories and is in the process of establishing 6 (Ayodhya, Basti, Banda, Azamgarh, Mirzapur, and Saharanpur) more labs, which will raise the total to at least 18 forensic labs in the state. 

ISO 9001:2015 Certification 

• ISO 9001:2015 Certification is an internationally recognized standard for Quality Management Systems (QMS), published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).  
• ISO is an independent, non-governmental international organization that unites global experts to establish best practices. 
• Organizations of any size or sector can pursue this certification to demonstrate their ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. 
• The benefits include boosted customer confidence, improved efficiency, easier market access, and a structured approach for continuous business improvement. 

Centenary of Kakori Train Action

Why in News? 

A hundred years ago, on 9^th August 1925, ten young revolutionaries, including Ram Prasad Bismil, and Sachindranath Bakshi, executed a daring heist on the British railway treasury, known as the Kakori Train Action.  

• To honor the revolutionaries of the Kakori Train Action, Uttar Pradesh has rebranded its famous Dussehri mangoes from the Kakori-Malihabad region under the new name ‘Kakori Brand.’ 

Key Points About the Kakori Incident 

• Event: The incident involved the robbery of the Number 8 down passenger train (from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow).  
  • The train was carrying official British cash (railway collections), intended for use in revolutionary activities aimed at undermining British colonial rule. 
• Key Figures: Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah Khan, Chandrashekhar Azad, Manmathnath Gupta, and Rajendra Nath Lahiri, all prominent members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA). 
  • In this case 17 were jailed, 4 transported for life and 4 (Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqullah, Roshan Singh, and Rajendra Lahiri) were hanged. 
• Impact on the Freedom Struggle: The Kakori Train Action gave the HRA a much-needed financial boost, allowing it to expand and eventually transform into the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA), led by Chandrashekhar Azad.

HRA

• The HRA was founded in October 1924 in Kanpur by Ramprasad Bismil, Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee, and Sachin Sanyal, with an aim to organise an armed revolution to overthrow the colonial government and establish in its place the Federal Republic of United States of India whose basic principle would be adult franchise. 

HSRA 

• The HSRA determined to overcome the Kakori setback, the younger revolutionaries, inspired by socialist ideas, set out to reorganise Hindustan Republic Association at a historic meeting in the ruins of Ferozshah Kotla in Delhi (September 1928).  
• Under the leadership of Chandrashekhar Azad, the name of HRA was changed to Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).  
• The participants included Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev Thapar, Bhagwati Charan Vohra from Punjab and Bejoy Kumar Sinha, Shiv Verma, and Jaidev Kapur from the United Provinces.  
• The HSRA decided to work under a collective leadership and adopted socialism as its official goal.