UP: Agra zone police launch ‘Operation Jagriti’ phase-5 to strengthen women’s safety and empowerment | Lucknow News
LUCKNOW: Inspired by the state-wide Mission Shakti campaign launched under the guidance of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and the direction of the Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh, the Agra Zone Police has been implementing “Operation Jagriti,” a comprehensive women’s empowerment and safety initiative. The fifth phase of the campaign, Operation Jagriti Phase-5, has been underway since December 14, 2025, across seven districts of the Agra Zone.Under this phase, the police, in coordination with UNICEF and multiple allied departments—including health, education, rural development, women and child development, psychologists, and counsellors—are conducting large-scale awareness drives, workshops, and training programmes at the grassroots level.ADG, Agra Zone, Anupam Kulshreshtha, said Operation Jagriti is centred on four core objectives: providing support and counselling to women victims of crime, creating awareness about the serious consequences of filing false cases by using women as tools, protecting women and girls from cyber harassment and cyber violence, and preventing elopement cases by establishing direct dialogue among parents, adolescents, and young girls.During Phase-5, special emphasis is being laid on preventing elopement cases by sensitising families and youths about their legal, social, and psychological consequences through focused interaction programmes.Grassroots-Level ImplementationAs part of the campaign’s strategy, multidisciplinary Jagriti Teams have been formed at the ground level. These teams include beat constables, ASHA workers, panchayat secretaries, teachers, NRLM self-help group members, counsellors, NGOs, and trained “Jagriti Warriors.” With the support of UNICEF and psychologists, structured scripts and talking points have been prepared in advance to bring about behavioural change among participants.Technology-Driven MonitoringEach programme is being monitored through feedback and attendance collected via Google Forms and geo-tagged photographs. Alongside print and electronic media, social media is being extensively used to amplify outreach. Since December 14, 2025, Phase-5 has already achieved over 11.22 lakh social media impressions, officials said.Measurable ImpactBetween December 14, 2025, and now, 3,112 awareness programmes were organised at various locations, directly engaging with nearly 5.5 lakh people across the zone. A third-party impact assessment of Operation Jagriti Phase-1 conducted by IIM Indore found that the campaign had a “significant positive impact” on women’s safety and empowerment at the grassroots level. The assessment recorded a 23% reduction in elopement cases and an 18% decline in overall crimes against women during Phase-1. Similarly, Phase-4 saw a 15% reduction in elopement cases and a 6.4% drop in women-related crimes on a year-on-year basis.Additional DG, Kulshreshtha, told TOI that across the seven districts, awareness programmes were organised at 1,529 locations, including 591 schools, 233 public places, 759 gram panchayats, urban wards, community buildings, and other sites. These programmes enabled direct engagement with diverse sections of society at the village, school, and urban ward levels.“In terms of participation, the campaign reached a total of 5,29,437 people. This included 1,02,247 women (18+ years) and 88,769 men (18+ years), indicating strong adult participation and community involvement. A significant focus was also placed on youth and adolescents, with 1,85,628 girls and 1,46,793 boys below 18 years taking part in the programmes, underlining the campaign’s emphasis on early awareness and preventive education,” the ADG said.Among the districts, Firozabad and Hathras recorded the highest outreach, each engaging over 2.36 lakh. Districts such as Aligarh, Mainpuri, and Kasganj contributed steadily, ensuring uniform zone-wide coverage.
