66 crore devotees took bath in Mahakumbh-25 in 45 days. ICCC became the nerve center of the security of the event, which foiled more than 60 lakh cyber attacks. This tech-driven model was honored with the SKOCH Gold Award 2025.
Lucknow. The divine-grand Mahakumbh-25 organized under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath received unprecedented appreciation not only from the country but from the entire world. More than 66 crore devotees took a dip of faith in this historic event that lasted for 45 days. The role of Uttar Pradesh Police in making this event, which is one of the largest human gatherings in the world, safe and well organized was praised in the country and abroad.
ICCC becomes a strong shield of security from land to sky
The Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC) of UP Police played an important role in making Maha Kumbh-25 safe at every level. This center not only controlled the huge crowd on the ground, but also remained alert on the digital front and foiled more than 60 lakh cyber attacks.
Nerve center of Maha Kumbh-25 becomes integrated command and control center
It is the result of the visionary thinking of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that Mahakumbh-25 organized in Prayagraj got global recognition and ICCC was honored with the SKOCH Gold Award. With extraordinary peak-footfall in 45 days, a temporary city spread over thousands of hectares and complex logistics, ICCC emerged as the “nerve center” of the entire event.
Preparations based on ‘war-room model’ started 12 months ago
Preparations for Maha Kumbh-25 were not seen as simple event management but as systems engineering. Planning began a year before the event. It used modern methods like table-top exercises, scenario-based testing, digital-twin simulations on crowd-overflow fears. The Chief Minister had clear instructions that the devotees should have a safe, easy and reliable experience.
ICCC: Congestion, disaster and rapid response on one screen
ICCC was operated as a 24×7 central command hub during Maha Kumbh-25. From here, real-time coordination between crowd management, disaster response, traffic control, public safety and various departments was ensured.
Major arrangements included in ICCC:
- 2,750+ AI-based cameras
- 4 operational ICCC units
- 400+ trained personnel
- 1920 call centers (50 operators per shift)
- Jam-Proof Wireless Network
- ANPR based vehicle monitoring
- VMD Display System
- AI chatbot ‘Kumbh Sah’AI’yak’ with 11 languages
It was from here that QRT dispatch, green-channel activation, railway-bus-stand alerts and multi-departmental coordination were conducted without any delay.
Cyber attack on Digital Mahakumbh, more than 60 lakh attempts failed
Maha Kumbh-25 was as big a physical event as its digital format was. This is why it became a high-value target for cyber criminals. In 45 days, more than 60 lakh cyber attacks were stopped from IP addresses belonging to more than 25 countries. These included:
- DDoS attack
- Ransomware activities
- DNS Poisoning
- SQL Injection
- Spoofing and Brute Force Attacks
- Web Application Attacks
This success was possible due to timely alert of central agencies and prompt action of UP Police.
Technical role of IIT Kanpur and IIIT Prayagraj
To strengthen cyber security, technical teams from IIT Kanpur and IIIT Prayagraj provided cyber-security assessment and on-ground support. Testing and quality check of digital infrastructure was ensured through STQC of MeitY.
Along with ‘Digital Kumbh’, focus is also on ‘Digital Safety’
According to IPS Bhanu Bhaskar, continuous monitoring was done by 56 trained “cyber warriors”. Instead of considering cyber security as just an IT subject, it was linked to crowd management, disaster response and public trust, so that any misinformation or technical disruption does not lead to chaos.
Inter-agency coordination becomes ICCC’s biggest strength
The real strength of the ICCC model was the strong coordination between various departments. Police, administration, health, disaster management, municipal services, traffic, railways and technical institutions worked on a common platform. Cyber-security framework, CISO function and reporting system were also adopted in line with CERT-In guidelines.
Strong cyber security in collaboration with reputed institutions
Under the leadership of the then IG Range Prayagraj Prem Gautam, cooperation of many reputed institutions and central agencies of the country was taken. More than 60,000 trained personnel were deployed in the field, while the man-machine partnership at ICCC made operations fast and accurate.
ICCC was monitored by Bhanu Bhaskar (former ADG Prayagraj Zone). He got the support of Tarun Gaba (Police Commissioner Prayagraj), Prem Gautam (IG), Vaibhav Krishna (DIG Mahakumbh). The responsibility of operational command was performed by Amit Kumar, IPS.
ICCC model honored with SKOCH Gold Award 2025
The ICCC model of Maha Kumbh-25 was awarded the SKOCH Gold Award 2025 in the 105th SKOCH Summit. This award was presented to the then ADG Bhanu Bhaskar, which was received by SP ICCC Amit Kumar. This honor gives national recognition to the tech-driven and citizen-centric initiatives of UP Police.