7th All India Prison Duty Meet opens in Hyderabad with historic blend of tradition and technology
The opening ceremony was graced by Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma as Chief Guest. Other dignitaries included Ravi Joseph Lokku, IPS, ADG BPR&D; Dr Jitender, Director General of Police, Ravi Gupta, Special Chief Secretary (Home), and K. Ramakrishna Rao, Chief Secretary, Telangana.
Hyderabad, September 10: The 7th All India Prison Duty Meet – 2025 was inaugurated on Tuesday at the RBVRR Telangana State Police Academy, Hyderabad, in a grand and solemn ceremony hosted by the Telangana Prisons and Correctional Services Department in association with the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR\&D), Ministry of Home Affairs.
This year’s meet has drawn 1,222 participants and 144 supporting staff from 21 states and three Union Territories, competing across 36 professional, sports, and fine arts events. The gathering celebrates discipline, endurance, creativity, and camaraderie within India’s correctional services.
The opening ceremony was graced by Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma as Chief Guest. Other dignitaries included Ravi Joseph Lokku, IPS, ADG BPR\&D; Dr Jitender, Director General of Police, Ravi Gupta, Special Chief Secretary (Home), and K. Ramakrishna Rao, Chief Secretary, Telangana.
In her welcome address, Dr Soumya Mishra, Director General of Prisons & Correctional Services, Telangana, thanked the Ministry of Home Affairs, BPR\&D, and the Telangana government for entrusting the state with hosting responsibilities. She extended her best wishes to all contingents.
Ravi Gupta noted that the meet goes beyond competition, serving as a platform for unity, knowledge-sharing, and innovation. He praised Telangana’s progressive reforms and rehabilitation measures in prisons.
Director General of Police Dr Jitender highlighted that prisons are evolving from mere places of confinement into centres for reformation, rehabilitation, and skill development. Chief Secretary Ramakrishna Rao commended the silent dedication of prison officers and lauded the introduction of the Technology Exhibition and Prison Product Stalls as a visionary step combining modernization with rehabilitation.
Governor Jishnu Dev Varma praised the discipline and commitment of prison forces, calling them a vital yet often unseen pillar of internal security and social reformation. He declared the meet open, followed by the oath of sportsmanship, release of balloons, and lighting of the ceremonial torch.
For the first time, a Technology Exhibition has been introduced at the Prison Duty Meet. It showcases AI-driven surveillance, drones, contraband detection tools, robotics, and advanced information systems. Alongside, prison-made products from across India are on display, reflecting inmate creativity and vocational training programmes.
To enrich participants’ stay, Telangana Tourism has arranged discounted cultural tours, while handicraft and handloom stalls at the venue promote local artisans and prison-made goods.
Over the next three days, the meet will feature professional drills, outdoor sports, and fine arts contests, blending competition with knowledge-sharing and national integration. The valedictory ceremony on September 11 will conclude what is expected to be remembered as a landmark edition — one that combined tradition with technology, and competition with camaraderie.
