Zones & Ranges
Police GK · ज़ोन और रेंज
📋Quick Overview
Indian state police are organized into Zones, Ranges, Districts, and Police Stations for administrative efficiency. A Zone is headed by ADGP, a Range by IG, a District by SP/SSP, and a Circle by DSP. UP Police is the largest state police force with 5 zones, 75 districts, and 1,700+ police stations. Knowing zone and range structure is critical for UP Police, Bihar Police, and SSC CPO exams.
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Administrative hierarchy: State (DGP) → Zone (ADGP) → Range (IG) → District (SP/SSP) → Circle (DSP) → Police Station (Inspector/SHO) → Outpost (ASI/SI).
📖State-wise Zones and Ranges
| State | Number of Zones | Zone Names | Zone Head |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 5 | Agra, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Lucknow, Varanasi | ADGP (each zone) |
| Bihar | 5 | Patna, Munger, Tirhut, Darbhanga, Magadh (Gaya) | ADGP/IG |
| Rajasthan | 7 | Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Udaipur, Bhilwara, Kota | IG (Range) |
| Delhi Police | 3 Ranges | New Delhi, West Delhi, East Delhi | Joint CP / DCP |
| Madhya Pradesh | 5 | Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Sagar | ADGP/IG |
| State | Total Districts | Total Police Stations (Approx.) | Police HQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | 75 | 1,700+ | Lucknow |
| Bihar | 38 | 900+ | Patna |
| Rajasthan | 50 | 900+ | Jaipur |
| Delhi | 15 Police Districts | 200+ | ITO, New Delhi |
| Maharashtra | 36 | 1,200+ | Mumbai (DGP HQ Nagpur) |
📝UP Police Zone Details
- •UP Police is the LARGEST state police force in India by strength (400,000+ personnel).
- •UP DGP headquarters: Lucknow. UPPRPB (recruitment board) also at Lucknow.
- •UP Police 5 Zones: Agra Zone (Agra, Mathura, Aligarh, Etawah, Mainpuri etc.), Bareilly Zone (Bareilly, Moradabad, Saharanpur etc.), Gorakhpur Zone (Gorakhpur, Azamgarh, Faizabad), Lucknow Zone (Lucknow, Kanpur, Allahabad), Varanasi Zone (Varanasi, Jaunpur, Mirzapur).
- •Each Zone = 3-4 Ranges. Each Range = 3-6 districts. District = 10-30 police circles/SHOs.
- •Bihar Police: 5 Zones (Patna, Munger, Tirhut, Darbhanga, Magadh); 38 districts; 800+ police stations.
- •Delhi Police has 15 police districts managed under 3 ranges — North, South and East Delhi units.
- •Police Station (Thana) is the BASIC unit of police administration at grassroots level.