State Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy and several senior officials were present
HYDERABAD, SEPTEMBER 11, 2025: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar opined that the real success of the Prisons Department lies in bringing transformation in the lives of prisoners when they return to society after serving their sentence. He said prison administration is not confined merely to security but is also a tool for reform and rehabilitation. He appreciated the efforts of the Prisons Department in this direction by conducting competitions in cleanliness, health, education, sports, and arts.
The All India 7th Prison Duty Meet, jointly organised by the Telangana Prisons Department and the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D), New Delhi, was hosted in Hyderabad. Union Minister Bandi Sanjay attended as the Chief Guest. Telangana’s Minister for Revenue & Information, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, BPR&D Director General Alok Ranjan& Additional Director General Ravi Joseph Lokku, Telangana Prisons DG Dr. Soumya Mishra, and officials from various States and Union Territories participated.
In this festival, 26 trophies and 40 medals were awarded across 22 events. Telangana achieved the best performance, winning the highest number of 17 trophies. The awards were presented to the winners by Bandi Sanjay and Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy.
Highlights of Bandi Sanjay’s speech:
As part of the All India 7th Prison Duty Meet, competitions such as quiz contests, unarmed combat, first aid and health care, computer technology, one-minute drill, model prison, fine arts and music, prison cleanliness, and best practices brought out diverse dimensions of personality. Sports competitions — basketball, shuttle badminton, volleyball, and kabaddi — along with athletics like 100m sprint, 400m run, high jump, and long jump highlighted the importance of physical fitness and team spirit in prison administration. This platform not only showcased talent but also created opportunities for interaction, exchange of experiences, and sharing best practices among prison officers and staff from across the country. He expressed confidence that such experiences would make prison management more humane, safe, and effective.
Prisons fall under the State List in the Indian Constitution. According to Prison Statistics India 2022, there are a total of 1,330 prisons in the country: 148 central prisons, 428 district jails, 574 sub-jails, 91 open prisons, 42 special jails, 34 women’s jails, 10 borstal schools, and 3 other jails. Presently, about 5.73 lakh inmates are housed in these prisons. Prison administration today is not just about security but also about reform and rehabilitation. True success lies in transforming the life of every prisoner re-entering society. The efforts being made in this regard are commendable.
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the participants and winners of this festival. The successful organization of this large-scale 7th All India Prison Duty Meet with the partnership of BPR&D and Telangana Prisons Department is highly appreciable, he stated. My compliments to the officers and staff of BPR&D and Telangana Prisons. Representatives from different States and Union Territories enthusiastically took part in various competitions, making the event a grand success. I extend my warm wishes to all of you, he maintained.
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