Dharmendra Pradhan praises Odisha Police use of drone, AI for Rath Yatra security arrangements

Puri, Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday praised Odisha Police's use of drones and other technology for foolproof security arrangements during Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra.

Pradhan and Union Culture and Tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accompanied by Odisha Higher Education minister Surjyabanshi Suraj and Puri MP Sambit Patra, visited the 'Integrated Command and Control Centre' (ICCC) set up by Odisha Police in Puri to review security and surveillance preparedness during the Rath Yatra 2025.

"To maintain order during the Rath Yatra in Puri and to control the crowd, I visited the Integrated Command and Control Centre established by Odisha Police. For the first time in the Rath Yatra, this arrangement by Odisha Police, utilising drones and other technology for monitoring, is highly useful and commendable," Pradhan said in a post on X.


Pradhan also said that this is a shining example of how technology can be used to safeguard tradition. The synergy of AI, drone surveillance, and real-time command capabilities is commendable, he said.

The ministers appreciated the use of technology-driven solutions implemented by Odisha Police and developed by Odisha-based defence tech startup IG Drones, a statement issued by the company said.

For the first time in the history of Rath Yatra, Odisha Police has deployed advanced drone surveillance technology across key areas of the city-enabling real-time aerial monitoring of crowd movements, traffic flow, and potential emergencies.

Apart from drones, the police have also installed 275 AI-powered CCTV cameras, a real-time WhatsApp chatbot for public assistance, and an Integrated Command and Control Centre for centralised coordination and data-driven decision-making, an official said.