National Security Guard

National Security Guard
राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा गार्ड
Abbreviation NSG

NSG Logo
Motto सर्वत्र सर्वोत्तम सुरक्षा (Sarvatra Sarvottam Surakhsha)(Sanskrit)
Omnipresent Omnipotent Defense
Agency overview
Formed 1984
Employees 7,500
Volunteers Yes
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Legal jurisdiction Republic of India
Governing body Ministry of Home Affairs (India)
Constituting instrument National Security Guard Act, 1986
General nature
Specialist jurisdictions
  • Counter terrorism, special weapons and tactics, protection of VIPs.
  • Protection of international or domestic VIPs, protection of significant state asseets.
Operational structure
Headquarters New Delhi
Minister responsible Rajnath Singh, Ministry of Home Affairs
Agency executive RC Tayal, Director General of NSG
Parent agency Ministry of Home Affairs
Child agency Junior and Mid level personnel on voluntary deputation from Indian Army and Central Armed Police Forces. Senior officers at the discretion of Ministry of Home Affairs (India)
Website
www.nsg.gov.in

The National Security Guard (NSG) is an Indian special forces unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It was raised in 1984, following Operation Blue Star and the assassination of Indira Gandhi, "for combating terrorist activities with a view to protect states against internal disturbances".[1]

NSG is under the authority of Ministry of Home Affairs (India), However it is not categorised under the uniform nomenclature of Central Armed Police Forces.[2][3] It has a special forces mandate, and its core operational capability is provided by the Special Action Group (SAG) which is drawn from the Indian Army. The Special Rangers Group (SRG), the police component of NSG, which also handles VIP security, is composed of personnel on deputation from other Central Armed Police Forces and State Police Forces.[4][5]:p 455, para7.19.17

The NSG personnel are often referred to in the media as Black Cats because of the black dress and black cat insignia worn on their uniform.[6]

Mission

The National Security Guard (NSG) was set up in 1984 as a Federal Contingency Deployment Force to tackle all facets of terrorism in the country.[7] As a specialized counter terrorism force, it is intended for use "only in exceptional situations" and not meant to take over the "functions of the State Police Forces or other Para Military Forces".[7] Yet, over the years its role has vastly expanded to provide personal security to influential politicians quite independent of the real threat that they face. Many politicians seek personal security details for themselves and their family for reasons of ego, prestige, and power projection.[8]

The NSG is trained to conduct counter terrorist task to including counter hijacking tasks on land, sea, and air; Bomb disposal (search, detection and neutralization of IEDs); PBI (Post Blast Investigation) and Hostage Rescue missions.

Directors General

The head of NSG, designated as Director General (DG), is selected by the MHA-Home Minister.[9] Since its raising in 1984, the NSG has had 28 DGs, in 31 years, with an average tenure one year and few months.[10] Many have served as DG just for few months, while waiting for promotion or a more desirable post. None of the DGs has had experience of commanding NSG special actions groups, or any other special forces command experience .[10] All the selected DGs have been officer from Indian Police Service (IPS). As per the government policy, NSG is to be headed by an Officer from IPS. Since the Combat Units under the NSG, which conduct counter terror operations are commanded by the Army Officers, this effectively negates the possibility of any officer with field experience in counter terror operations heading the organisation as its DG at a later stage.[5]:p 455, para7.19.17[7]

Organization

NSG Commandos on the eve of US president Barack Obama's India visit for Republic day 2015.

According to the NSG web site it is modeled on Germany's GSG 9 (Grenzschutzgruppe 9 or "Border Guard Group 9").[7][11][12]

Headquarters

At Mehram Nagar, Palam
Administration The Director General is assisted by four Indian Police Service officers for administrative matters of whom two are Inspectors General each for Administration and Headquarters (HQ) who in turn are assisted by Deputy Inspectors General.[13] The Financial Advisor of the NSG has been an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the rank of Joint Secretary and also has Dy Advisors from the Indian Audit and Accounts Service and Indian Civil Account Service.

Operation and Training: Operations and training is under senior army officers on deputation to NSG. A Major General of Indian Army, on deputation, designated as Inspector General (operations), is responsible for planning and conduct of operations. Training is under another Major General (Training), located in Manesar, Gurgaon. They are further assisted by two Brigadiers on deputation from Indian army as DIG (Operations) and DIG (Training).[14] Another Brigadier from army usually from Indian Army Corps of Signals is deputed as DIG (Communication) to look after communication systems of the force. The strength of the NSG is estimated to be about 8000+ personnel.[15] Air transport to support NSG is located at Indra Gandhi Airport.

National Bomb Data Centre:[16][17][18] NBDC a nodal agency covering all facets of Bombing incidents in India. It is headed by a Colonel of Indian Army Corps of Engineers on deputation, designated as Director NBDC.

Special Action Group (SAG)

The SAG is the main offensive or the strike wing of the NSG. Its members are drawn exclusively from the Indian army. The SAGs includes headquarters, support units, and training wing. The training of both the action and ranger group is conducted by the officers and NCOs drawn from the army. There are two SAGs – 51 Special Action Group and 52 Special Action Group. The two SAGs (51 and 52) are tasked for counter-terror and counter-hijack operations respectively. The smallest operation sub unit of the SAG is called "hit", usually commanded by an NCO. A "hit" has five members – two pairs, or buddies, and a technical support member. Four hits make a team. A team is commanded by a Captain. In hostage rescue operations, depending on the situation, team size may vary between 50 to 90 NSG personnel. For immediate transport airlift IL-76MD strategic transport aircraft are stationed at New Delhi’s Palam Air Force Station and are ready to deploy within 30 minutes.[19]

Special Ranger Group (SRG)

NSG has three SRGs, each with a strength of battalion, approximately total 900 all ranks. SRG personnel are drawn on deputation from Central Armed Police Forces and State Police forces. There are three SRGs – 11, 12 and 13.[19] SRG renders logistical support to the SAGs during operations and are deployed for guarding high-risk VIPs/VVIPs. However VIP/VVIP Security is not mandate of NSG, It decided to withdraw 11 SRG from its present task of VVIP security and converted into a regular SAG-like unit for undertaking specific counter-terror operations.[20]


National Bomb Data Centre

The National Bomb Data Centre (NBDC) established in the year 1988 & further its role redefined in the year 2000. NBDC was assigned role of monitoring, recording and analysing all bombing incidents in the country. It also records and analyses various bombing incidents across the world to gain expertise knowledge in Bombing and related incidents and effectively counter such and share with relevant security agencies. All national security agencies which rely on NBDC for assistance in bombing incidents and related knowledge have high regards for its working culture. At present NBDC act as a nodal agency for all bombing related facets in the country.

It is headed by a Colonel of Indian Army Corps of Engineers on deputation, designated as Director NBDC.

National Bomb Data Centre primarily consists of personnel and officers from Indian Army Corps of Engineers who are Combat Engineers along with personnel and officers from Central Armed Police Forces with bombing related expertise knowledge.

Regional Deployment

In response to criticism of the time taken by NSG units to arrive in November 2008 Mumbai attacks Mumbai in 2008, from their base in Manesar, Haryana, the MHA decided to deploy NSG contingents in major cities across India like Mumbai, Kolkata (462 personnel[21]), Hyderabad and Chennai.[22]

Hyderabad will turn into a training hub of the elite 'Black Cats' by mid-2014. With the ministry of home affairs (MHA) giving its nod and sanctioning Rs 533.68 crore a few months ago, the National Security Guard (NSG) officials are gearing up to set up the Southern Regional Center (SRC) at Ibrahimpatnam, Hyderabad for training commandos. With the state government also handing over 600 acres at Ibrahimpatnam, the SRC is likely to be ready by next year. Tender notices have already been issued for civil works, which would be overseen by the Central Public Works Department. With this, Hyderabad would have an NSG hub at Trimulgherry as well as the SRC for training 'Black Cats'. As of now, nearly 300 commandos, ready for anti-terror operations round-the-clock, are stationed at the NSG hub at Trimulgherry. Similar hubs are in place in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The proposal to set up a state-of-the-art NSG training centre at Ibrahimpatnam on the lines of NSG Manesar training centre has been pending for over three years. But the MHA officials, in their annual report released recently, announced the release of funds for developing infrastructure. "Post the 26/11 Mumbai terror strike, four regional hubs of NSG were operationalised in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata to reduce reaction time. A regional centre at Hyderabad is also being raised, for which 600 acres of land has been acquired. MHA has conveyed sanction of Rs 533.68 crore towards the construction of this Southern Regional Centre, NSG at Ibrahimpatnam," the MHA report said. With this, the state would have two trained anti-terror striking forces. Besides the NSG, the Andhra Pradesh police's OCTOPUS, which also has a training facility at Ibrahimpatnam, has a strength of over 250 personnel. NSG and OCTOPUS personnel, who undergo a gruelling training, including handling sophisticated weapons, commandos are sent back to their parent department once they attain the age of 35, ensuring that the force remains young and fighting fit.[23]


Rank Structure and Designation

The ranks in NSG are roughly on the pattern of the police and the CAPF, as follows:[1]

History

The NSG was established in the wake of 1984 Operation Blue Star, and the high collateral damage to Golden Temple, and civilian and military collateral casualties. Since its raising the NSG has been used in the Punjab in 1986, and Jammu and Kashmir. Some of the NSG's known operations include:

Selection and training

Selection is demanding and has a drop out rate of about 70–80 percent.[15] Three of their 14 months of training in Manesar, Haryana, are devoted to the basics.The basic training period lasts 90 days. Physical fitness training has 26 elements, ranging from an cross-country obstacle course to jumping from heights and across divides and scaling different kinds terrain. One endurance test involves martial arts, target shooting at the end of an obstacle-ridden cross-country run. This is meant to gauge the candidate’s performance under conditions of stress and exhaustion. Those who successfully complete the tests are sent for nine months of advanced training.

Equipment

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "The National Security Guard Act, 1986 (47 of 1986)" (PDF). Government of India. 22 September 1986. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  2. "MHA OM" (PDF). http://www.mha.nic.in. Ministry of Home Affairs, GoI. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help); External link in |website= (help)
  3. "For the paramilitary, all’s in a new name". The Telegraph. The Telegraph Calcutta. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  4. "Central Armed Police Forces". MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS. MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  5. 1 2 Sixth Central Pay Commission (March 2008). "Report of the Sixth Central Pay Commission" (PDF). Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Ministry of Finance. p. 9. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  6. Purohit, Jugal R. (18 April 2013). "No choppers, no training, no men: National Security Guard in crisis as helicopter and manpower shortages cripple counter-terror effort". DailyMail. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "National Security Guard". Ministry Of Home Affairs. NSG.GOV.IN. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  8. BHALLA, ABHISHEK (6 February 2013). "NSG cover to politicos set to rise despite Centre's promises". Daily Mail. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  9. "Former DGs". nsg.gov.in. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  10. 1 2 "Home :Former DGs". NSG. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  11. "Modernising the NSG". India Today. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  12. "Elite German police wing to train NSG". India Express. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  13. "STATEMENT SHOWING DETAILS OF ORGANIZATION - WISE VACANCIES IN CAPFs / CPOs, ETC. UPTO 3 1 . 03 .201 5 MEANT FOR IPS OFFICERS AT VARIOUS LEVELS" (PDF). mha.nic.in. Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  14. "NSG gets 3 army officers for terror ops, training". http://www.hindustantimes.com. Hindustan Times. Retrieved 3 February 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  15. 1 2 http://www.careerafter12th.com/?p=320
  16. "NBDC to counter terrorist IEDs menace more effectively". Thaindian. Thaindian.
  17. "IED haul puts focus on new terror hubs". Times of India. Times of India. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  18. "NBDC, India" (PDF). India Study Channel. India Study Channel. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  19. 1 2 "NSG to pull out 900 commandos from VIP security for counter-terror operations training". The Times of India. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  20. "NSG to pull out 900 commandos from VIP security for counterterror operations training PTI". Times of India. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  21. "NSG's Kolkata hub to serve east, northeast: Chidambaram". Bharat Defence Kavach. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  22. "Centre clears NSG for six cities". The Indian Express. 1 December 2008. Retrieved 2010-08-12.
  23. Central nod for 'Black Cats' training campus near Hyderabad - Times Of India. Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2013-06-24). Retrieved on 2013-08-17.
  24. India Deliverance, Time, 1986-05-12
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Bhashyam, Kasturi. "National Security Guards- Past, Present and Future". Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "National Security Guards". Bharat Rakshak: Land Forces. Bharat Rakshak. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  27. "NATIONAL SECURITY GUARDS 'Black Cats'". India. Special Operations Website. Retrieved 21 August 2012. External link in |publisher= (help)
  28. "Pathankot operation continues; 2 terrorists still holed up". 3 January 2016.
  29. "Govt denies lapses in Pathankot op; unsure of number of terrorists involved". 3 January 2016.
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