How well do you know India’s paramilitary forces and their roles?
It was only in November 2015 that the Home Ministry gave approval to give the status of martyr to personnel from the paramilitary forces who die in the line of duty.
Even the 7th Central Pay Commission batted for granting martyr status to personnel of central paramilitary forces, on the lines of armed forces.
In a recommendation to the government the commission said, “the Commission is of the view that in case of death in the line of duty, the force personnel of Central Armed Police Forces should be accorded martyr status, at par with the defence forces personnel”.
Over 10 lakh personnel serve in seven paramilitary, namely- Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Assam Rifles (AR), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Security Guards (NSG) and Border Security Forces (BSF).
But what role do these seven different forces play? Know here:
- Assam Rifles (AR)
Established in 1835, Assam Rifles is the oldest of all paramilitary forces. There are currently 46 battalions of AR under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
AR’s job is to counter insurgency and hold border security operations. Since 2002, they are also guarding the 1,643 km long Indo-Myanmar border.
According to recent reports, the central government was considering to task the Indo-Tibetan Border Police for the Indo-Myanmar border but yesterday Home Minister Rajnath Singh ruled out the withdrawal of Assam Rifles.
2. Border Security Force (BSF)
BSF came into being in the wake of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, to ensure the security of the borders of India. It is headed by an officer from the Indian Police Service just like all other paramilitary forces except Assam Rifles.
Nearly 2.4 lakh personnel are a part of this force and it is also called as the ‘First Wall of Defence of Indian Territories’.
3. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
CISF’s job is provide security to Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). Currently they provide security cover to 300 industrial units.
Even the currency note presses producing Indian currency are protected by CISF. It is the largest industrial security force in the world and has 165,000 personnel.
4. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
The CRPF looks after the internal security of every part of India.
Countering naxal operations, assisting the State and Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and helping with the UN peace-keeping missions also comes under CRPF’s task list.
The CRPF guarded the India-Pakistan Border until 1965, after which the BSF was created. In 2001 Parliament attack too, it was the CRPF troops that killed the five terrorists who entered the premises.
5. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
The ITBP was established after the 1962 Indo-China war, under the CRPF Act. It vigils the northern borders, detects and prevents every border violations and helps the locals feel secure.
The force also keeps a check on illegal immigration and trans-border smuggling. They guard the Indo-Tiber border and the mountainous regions of the Indo-China border.
The ITBP is also trained in disaster management and have been deployed in UN peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Afghanistan.
6. National Security Guard (NSG)
The formation of NSG was a consequence of the assassination of Indira Gandhi and Operation Blue Star. It was raised to combat terrorist activities and to ensure the states do not witness any internal disturbances.
They are often referred as Black Cats because of their uniform which consists of a black dress and black cat insignia.
7. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
Established in 1963, the SSB guard the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders.
It was only in 2014 that the government approved the recruitment of women as combat officers in SSB.
Formerly known as the Special Service Bureau, their job is to control anti-national activities and inculcate feelings of national belonging in the border population among others.
Watch the video to understand about their rules in less than 3 minutes:
Source: Factly
Jai Hind, Team Veertrip
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