Statement — Many pilgrims died in a stampede while boarding a private ferry to the holy place on the first day of a ten-day festival.\n\nCourses of Action —\nI. Immediately cancel the licenses of all private ferry operators.\nII. Deploy adequate Government personnel to guide pilgrims during their journey to the holy place.

Introduction / Context:
A tragic crowd disaster calls for targeted safety measures and improved crowd/traffic management, not blanket punitive actions that could cripple essential transport capacity during a festival surge.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Event: stampede at a private ferry point; fatalities occurred.
• COA I: cancel all private ferry licenses immediately.
• COA II: deploy adequate personnel for guidance, queueing, and safety.

Concept / Approach:
COA II directly addresses safe boarding, lane discipline, load limits, emergency response, and communication. COA I is over-broad and counterproductive; it could remove capacity when demand peaks, pushing crowds to fewer access points and increasing risk. Proper action is stricter regulation, inspections, route management, caps per vessel, and on-site oversight—not total license cancellation.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Comparable events are managed by strengthening standard operating procedures, not eliminating entire operator classes.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Common Pitfalls:
Letting outrage drive sweeping bans instead of improving controls at chokepoints.

Final Answer:
Only II follows.