{"id":66571,"date":"2025-10-05T11:15:29","date_gmt":"2025-10-05T05:45:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=66571"},"modified":"2025-10-06T11:48:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T06:18:26","slug":"indias-new-strategy-to-prevent-crowd-disasters-guidelines-laws-and-scientific-measures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/indias-new-strategy-to-prevent-crowd-disasters-guidelines-laws-and-scientific-measures\/","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s New Strategy to Prevent Crowd Disasters: Guidelines, Laws, and Scientific Measures"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>Crowd Management Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Recently, a tragic crowd crush at a political rally by actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) founder Vijay in Tamil Nadu\u2019s Karur district claimed 41 lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the incident, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced the formation of a one-member commission led by retired judge Aruna Jagadeesan to investigate the causes of the disaster.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Chief Minister also stated that new regulations for managing public gatherings would be framed after the commission submits its report.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>India\u2019s Evolving Framework for Crowd Management<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has strengthened its crowd management mechanisms through updated national guidelines and institutional training.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In June 2025, the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&amp;D) issued <\/span><b>Comprehensive Guidelines on Crowd Control and Mass Gathering Management<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, focusing on scientific and preventive strategies for police and law enforcement agencies.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, the <\/span><b>National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continues to implement its 2020 framework, which recommends advance risk assessment, detailed site layouts, pre-defined entry and exit routes, real-time monitoring, and clear communication systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has also introduced specialised training modules on managing large gatherings as part of its capacity-building initiatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the February 2025 crowd crush at a New Delhi railway station, the <\/span><b>Indian Railways<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> updated safety manuals at around 60 major stations, adding provisions such as holding areas, dispersal zones, and crowd monitoring systems.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, these measures remain largely advisory rather than legally binding, leaving implementation inconsistent across states and agencies.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>State-Level Measures for Crowd Management in India<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several States have begun enacting specific laws to manage large gatherings following recent crowd disasters.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After the <\/span><b>June 2025 stampede at Bengaluru\u2019s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><b>Karnataka government<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> introduced the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crowd Control (Managing Crowd at Events and Venues of Mass Gathering) Bill, 2025<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This law covers political, cultural, and religious events, assigning accountability to organisers and empowering district magistrates to cancel or redirect events, regulate loudspeakers, and impose fines or imprisonment for violations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, <\/span><b>Uttar Pradesh\u2019s State Disaster Management Authority<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> issued the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guidelines for Managing Crowd at Events of Mass Gathering, 2023<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, institutionalising measures for religious and cultural congregations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Institutional and Training Initiatives<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has developed training materials offering technical guidance on calculating venue capacity, exit planning, volunteer coordination, and fire and first aid preparedness.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following a July 2025 stampede at <\/span><b>Haridwar\u2019s Mansa Devi temple<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Uttarakhand government mandated updated safety protocols at major temples and ordered the removal of encroachments near shrines to improve crowd movement and emergency access.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Event-Specific and Local Protocols<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Maharashtra government introduced a Bill empowering the Nasik-Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority to establish temporary townships and bypass certain urban planning norms to accommodate large gatherings.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition, local enforcement agencies have circulated Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to improve inter-departmental coordination, medical preparedness, and fire safety.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, after the Bengaluru incident, Karnataka Police issued a detailed SOP for managing crowds at public events.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Administrative Measures and Challenges<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across various districts, police authorities have directed organisers of major religious and political events to submit crowd management plans, limit attendance, set up barricades, deploy medical teams, and divert traffic.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, <\/span><b>most of these directions remain administrative orders<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than statutory mandates, often issued reactively after specific tragedies \u2014 such as the Haridwar, Karur, Bengaluru, and Prayagraj incidents.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>absence of uniform legal backing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continues to hinder consistent enforcement of crowd safety protocols across States.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Scientific Approach to Crowd Control<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Scientific crowd control focuses on regulating <\/span><b>crowd density and movement patterns<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to prevent crushes and stampedes.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studies show that danger increases sharply when density exceeds <\/span><b>five persons per square metre<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To prevent this, organisers should avoid <\/span><b>bottlenecks, slopes, and counter-flows<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which create pressure buildups and destabilise movement.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The use of <\/span><b>drones and ground-linked computer systems<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for real-time density monitoring is considered a best practice \u2014 and failing to deploy such technologies is seen as a major safety gap.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Safety Practices for Individuals<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In dense or moving crowds, individuals should move diagonally toward less crowded edges instead of pushing against the flow.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since <\/span><b>most deaths result from<\/b> <b>compressive asphyxia<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> rather than trampling, people are advised to keep forearms across the chest to protect breathing space and maintain balance with staggered footing.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If knocked down, rolling to the side, shielding the head and neck, and standing up quickly can help avoid further injury.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People should also stay away from rigid barriers like fences and walls where pressure can build dangerously, and avoid stopping to retrieve dropped items or take videos, as even short pauses can trigger turbulence in the crowd.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Organisational Best Practices<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Event organisers should ensure continuous monitoring by trained crowd managers, establish one-way movement routes, provide multiple exits, and display clear signage for crowd direction.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Public address systems must be used to relay safety instructions, and on-site medical facilities should be available for quick response to emergencies.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Together, these measures form the scientific foundation of effective and safe crowd management at mass gatherings.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/how-is-india-responding-to-crowding-disasters-explained\/article70125847.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/ndma.gov.in\/sites\/default\/files\/PDF\/Reports\/managingcrowdsguide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">NDMA<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India revamps its crowd management with new laws, guidelines, and tools after tragedies. Discover how States are enhancing safety at mass gatherings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":66715,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[3067,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-66571","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-crowd-management","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}