How Many Paramilitary Forces in India

Introduction

A paramilitary organisation is a semi-militarized force that has the same organisational structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) role as a professional military but is not nominally part of the country's armed forces. India has ten paramilitary units.

In India, there are ten different types of paramilitary forces:

• Assam Rifles

• Border security force

• Central Industrial Security force

• Central Reserve Police force

• Indo-Tibetan Border police

• National Security Guard

• Railway Protection Force

• Sashastra Seema Bal

• Special Frontier Force

• Special Protection Group

What are the Paramilitary Forces?

A paramilitary force is a semi-militarized force that fulfils either civil or military responsibilities. The role of these forces is to protect the country's internal security, such as conducting fair and peaceful elections, protecting terrorists and Maoists, protecting VIPs, and assisting in natural disasters, as well as supporting the defence services in securing India's borders and only assisting in combating external threats when necessary.

The Indian Army, Air Force and Navy are part of the Defence Ministry, while paramilitary forces are part of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Central Armed Police Forces (also known as Paramilitary Forces or CAPF) are divided into two levels, the first of which is known as the Central Police Organizations and Central Police Organizations Paramilitary Forces.

Assam Rifles

The Assam Rifles is India's oldest paramilitary organisation. It is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs, although its operational authority is the Indian Army. Because it is the police force, CAPF guidelines control its recruiting, perks, promotions, and retirement plans.

Role of Assam Rifles

• The Assam Rifles are a Central Paramilitary Force affiliated with the Central Armed Police Forces.

• To protect British Tea estates and villages from tribal incursions, a militia known as the "Cachar Levy" was established in 1835.

• It substantially contributed to the Assam region's opening to administration and commerce.

• Assam Rifles has two battalions stationed in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as one National Disaster Relief Force unit that responds actively to natural disasters.

• Although India has been contributing to UN peacekeeping for many years, the advent of the Assam Rifles Riflewomen Team adds another social and human dimension to our contribution to the international community.

Border Security Force

India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh are guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF). It is one of India's seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). It was established on December 1, 1965, in the aftermath of the 1965 conflict, "for preserving the security of India's borders and problems related therewith."

Objectives

• Preventing transnational crimes and unauthorised entry or exit from Indian territory.

• Smuggling and other illicit border activities are prohibited.

• Gather cross-border intelligence.

• To instil a sense of security among those who live near the border.

During Wartime

• Maintaining control of designated areas.

• Maintaining law and order in hostile territory governed by the Army.

• Manpower replenishment.

• Performing unique intelligence-related missions such as cross-border raids

Central Reserve Police Force

The Ministry of Home Affairs of the Indian government oversees the Central Reserve Police Agency (CRPF), a federal police force in India. One of the Central Armed Police Forces. The CRPF's principal function is to help states and union territories in law enforcement and counter-insurgency operations. It is made up of the Central Reserve Police Force (Regular) and the Central Reserve Police Force (Special) (Auxiliary).

Duties

• Overall coordination of large-scale security arrangements, particularly about elections in troubled areas.

• VIP and critical infrastructure protection.

• Operations against militancy and insurgency.

• Participating in the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission.

• Rescue and relief operations are carried out during natural disasters.

Central Industrial Security Force

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is an Indian federal police force that reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is a member of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Across India, the CISF protects over 356 industrial facilities (including 13 private sector facilities), as well as government infrastructure projects, infrastructure, and organisations. This category comprises PSU-owned and -operated hydroelectric/thermal power plants, mines, oil fields and refineries, large ports, heavy engineering, steel plants, barrages, fertiliser units, airports, and space stations. Additionally, note pushes are part of it.

Objective

The CISF's goal is to improve the protection and security of industrial enterprises in the country's public and private sectors. There are 12 reserve battalions and eight training schools in the CISF.

Functions

• To offer protection for over 356 industrial units (13 of which are private sector units), government infrastructure projects, facilities, and enterprises spread across India.

• It is also important in disaster management. The CISF has a 'Fire Wing' that assists during fires in industries where the CISF is on patrol.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is an Indian border patrol agency that operates along India's borders with the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is one of seven Central Armed Police Forces founded in the aftermath of the 1962 Sino-Indian War.

Functions

• Border patrol, identification and prevention of border infractions, and creation of a sense of security among the local population

• Keep a watch out for illegal immigration and cross-border smuggling.

• Secure critical installations and threatened VIPs.

• In the event of a disruption, restore and maintain order in any location.

• To keep the peace.

Multifarious Facts of Force

ITBP is now patrolling the India-China border in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, from the Karakoram, pass in Jammu and Kashmir to the Jechap La in Arunachal Pradesh. ITBP BOPs are located at elevations ranging from 9,000 to 18,750 feet, with temperatures down to (-) 45 degrees Celsius.

ITBP Battalions also protect numerous national installations around the country, including Rashtrapati Bhawan, Vice President House, Rumtek Monastery (Sikkim), Tihar Jail (N Delhi), LBSNAA (UKD), and various strategic locations in Chandigarh (Punjab) and Jammu (J&K).

National Security Guard

An Indian counterterrorism force under the Ministry of Home Affairs is the National Security Guard (NSG), also referred to as the Black Cats. It was established on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue Star, to combat terrorist activities and protect states from internal disturbances. It was formalised in the Indian Parliament under the National Security Guard Act of 1986.

Functions

• Counter-terrorist operations on land, sea, and air.

• Bomb removal (search, detection and neutralisation of IEDs).

• Hostage rescue missions, such as those carried out at the Taj Hotel during the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

• VIP protection (like security to Cabinet Ministers and other eminent persons).

• An elite team tasked with protecting the President of India and other dignitaries from possible kidnappings or murder attempts, as well as other "Operational Security" missions.

Railway Protection Force

The Indian Parliament passed the Railway Protection Agency Act in 1957, creating the Railway Protection Force as a security force for "better protection and security of railway property and passenger area." It has the jurisdiction to conduct searches, arrest people, and investigate and prosecute anyone who violates the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act of 1966 and the Railways Act of 1989 (amended from time to time). However, the Government Railway Police (GRP) of state police have the authority to make arrests under other penal statutes. The force is overseen by the Indian Ministry of Railways.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Arrest and prosecute anyone who steals, damages, or illegally possesses railroad property.

• Providing services such as entry control to railway premises, general security, and management of passenger-use areas.

• To maintain smooth railway traffic movement by reducing obstacles for train and passenger movement.

• Preventing the trafficking of children and women and assisting in the rehabilitation of poor people located on railway property.

Railway Protection Force Powers

The force is given the following powers to help them carry out their responsibilities more effectively:

• The authority to investigate, punish, and arrest those who engage in actions that violate the Railways Act of 1890.

• Power to remove impediments to rail transportation or passengers, such as unauthorised buildings and encroachments.

• Discretionary authority to use non-lethal and lethal force as needed while carrying out their tasks.

Sashastra Seema Bal

Sashatra Seema Bal (Armed border force) is an Indian border security organisation stationed at the nation's borders with Nepal and Bhutan. It belongs to the ministry of home affairs' seven Central Armed Police Forces (MHA).

In the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War in 1963, the Special Service Bureau was established to strengthen India's border areas against hostile operations.

Role

The prior role of the Special Service Bureau was to motivate and mobilise India's border population for national security in times of peace and conflict, as well as to develop a sense of security and fraternity among the populace to further national integration. Its current role is to prevent cross-border crime, smuggling, and other anti-national acts.

To carry out its duty, the SSB has been given specific powers under the Criminal Procedure Code of 1973, the NDPS Act of 1985, the Arms Act of 1959, and the Passport Act of 1967. The Indian government is also considering granting additional powers under the Customs Act of 1962.

Responsibilities

• To instil a sense of security among those who live near the border.

• To prevent transnational crime and unauthorised admission or leave from Indian territory.

• Smuggling and other illicit acts on Indian borders must be avoided.

Special Frontier Force

The Special Frontier Force (SFF) is an Indian special operations organisation that was established on November 14, 1962. It was mostly made up of Tibetan refugees in India. Its size and breadth of operations have expanded. Its initial mission was to perform covert operations behind Chinese lines in the case of another Sino-Indian War.

SFF has fought in all of India's major external wars, including the Bangladesh Liberation War and the Kargil War. It has also been active in internal security, notably Operation Blue Star, as well as serving as Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's "Personal Force" to suppress opposition parties during the period of emergency from 1975 to 1977. It has participated in border operations against China, notably the China-India conflicts in 2020 and 2021.

Role

• In the case of another Indo-China war, the major function/role of SFF or Establishment 22 was to perform covert operations behind Chinese lines.

• They would infiltrate as guerrillas and destroy Chinese communication lines; damage roads, airfields, and radar installations; force the Chinese to deploy a disproportionate force for rear security; and incite insurgency and rebellion in Tibet, assisting the Indian army in engaging the Chinese at the border.

• Special Frontier Force was primarily utilised for clandestine intelligence collection and commando operations near China's Line of Actual Control.

Special Protection Group

The Special Protection Group (SPG) is a government entity tasked with protecting the Prime Minister of India and, in some situations, his or her family. The Prime Minister is always protected by the SPG, whether in India or overseas, as are the Prime Minister's immediate family members who live with them at their official house. However, family members may refuse security.

Importance

The Prime Minister's security is the domain of a Special Protection Group, or SPG, and is designated as a "unit" by SPG law. The SPG Act went into effect in 1988, and the unit's mission is subject to the Cabinet Secretariat. The law includes provisions to "provide prompt protection" for India's Prime Minister and individuals who have previously held office.

Important Facts

• The motto of SPG is "courage, dedication, and safety."

• From 1985 until 1988, the Special Protection Group operated illegally until the Rajiv Gandhi government introduced legislation to give the agency a rigid legal structure.

• The Prime Minister and former Prime Minister, as well as their close relatives, are all protected by SPG.

• The previous Prime Minister's and her family's protection at the headquarters is only valid for up to five years from the date he/she resigns.

• A Special Protection Group is led by a police inspector or a higher-ranking Indian police officer.

Conclusion

Despite not being a member of the military, a paramilitary may be under the direction of one, train alongside them, or have access to their resources. In some cases, paramilitaries may train personnel of the regular military in specialised techniques, such as arrest procedures.

Though a paramilitary, by definition, is not a military force, it is typically comparable to a light infantry force in terms of strength, weaponry, and organisational structure. Paramilitaries employ "military" equipment (such as long guns and armoured personnel carriers, usually surplus military resources), tactics (such as urban warfare and close-quarters combat), and skills (such as battlefield medicine and bomb disposal) that are compatible with their missions. They frequently combine them with skills from other relevant fields, such as law enforcement or search and rescue.