Various Security Forces and Agencies and Their Mandate

Which are the security forces of  India dealing with internal and external threats? What is the mandate of different security forces and their agencies? Read further to know more.

Various Security Forces and Agencies and Their Mandate a topic in UPSC Civil Services Mains GS Paper 3. Splitting up the keywords – we get two areas to focus on – (1) Various Security Forces and Agencies (2) Their Mandate – ie. the authority to carry out a policy or action.

There are external and internal threats to the security of India and different specialized forces of India deal with these threats.

The external threats are handled often by the Armed Forces under the Ministry of Defense, while the Ministry of Home Affairs manages internal threats.

Indian Security Forces

India has a comprehensive and multi-tiered security apparatus designed to address a wide range of internal and external threats. This apparatus includes various security forces and agencies, each with its specific mandate.

The East India Company’s Supreme Government founded a Military Department in Kolkata in 1776.

• Sorting and monitoring army-related directives from different Government of East India Company Departments was the main responsibility of this department.
• Initially, the Military Department maintained a register of Army soldiers and functioned as a branch of the Public Department.
• The East India Company’s Secretariat was split into four departments, including a military department when the Charter Act of 1833 was passed. A Secretary to the Government oversaw each Department.
• Before being combined into one Indian Army in April 1895, the armies of the Presidency of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras served as their own Presidency Armies.
• For administrative convenience, it was divided into four Commands: Bombay (which included Sind, Quetta, and Aden), Madras (which included Burma), Bengal, and Punjab (which included the North West Frontier).
• The Secretary of State for India exercised Control of the Crown, while the Governor General in Council had the final say over the Indian Army.
• The Commander-in-Chief, who was in charge of all operational concerns, and the Military Member, who was in charge of all administrative and financial matters, were the two members of the Council who handled military affairs.
• To replace the Military Department, the Army Department and the Military Supply Department were established in March 1906.
  After the Military Supply Department was disbanded in April 1909, the Army Department assumed its duties.
• The Army Department changed its name to the Defence Department in January 1938.
• The Department of Defence was reorganised as the Ministry of Defence in August 1947, with a Cabinet Minister in charge.

Security Forces Dealing with External Threats

The Indian Armed Forces are responsible for ensuring the nation’s sovereignty and security against external threats. They operate under the Ministry of Defence and include:

• Indian Army: The largest component of the Indian Armed Forces, the Army is responsible for land-based military operations and defending the country against external aggression and threats.
• Indian Navy: The Navy safeguards the nation’s maritime borders and interests, conducts anti-piracy operations, and assists in disaster relief.
• Indian Air Force: The Air Force provides air support to ground and naval forces, secures the airspace, and conducts aerial warfare during conflicts.
• Indian Coast Guard: The Coast Guard operates under the Ministry of Defence, responsible for enforcing maritime law, protecting the coastline, and conducting search and rescue operations.

Security Forces Dealing with Internal Threats

Operating under the Ministry of Home Affairs, these forces deal with internal security, border protection, and disaster response:

Central Armed Police Force (CAPF)

• Assam Rifles (AR): Assam Rifles is a national security force in India. It was founded in 1835 under a military called militia called the ‘Cachar Levy’.It is the oldest paramilitary force in India. Assam Rifles is also known as ‘Friends of the North East People’. The headquarters of Assam Rifles is located in Shillong, Meghalaya.
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): It is one of the largest paramilitary forces and is involved in maintaining law and order, counter-insurgency, and anti-terrorism operations within the country.
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): This force is responsible for guarding the Indo-China border and operating in the harsh terrain of the Himalayas. They also conduct disaster response and relief operations.
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF): CISF provides security to India’s major critical infrastructure, including airports, seaports, nuclear installations, and government buildings.
• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) guards India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan. The SSB also engages in counter-insurgency and anti-smuggling operations.
• National Security Guard (NSG): India’s premier counter-terrorism unit, dealing with terrorist activities, hijackings, and hostage situations.
• Border Security Force (BSF): Under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the BSF guards India’s land borders during peacetime and prevents trans-border crimes like smuggling and infiltration.

Read: Modernisation of Central Armed Police Forces

Special Forces

• Special Protection Group (SPG): Responsible for the protection of the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers, and their immediate families.
• Para forces (Indian Army): The Paratrooper (Special Forces), or Para (SF), are the special forces of the Indian Army. This unit was created in June 1966 in the aftermath of the 1965 Indo-Pakistani war.
• MARCOS (Indian Navy): First conceived in 1985, the Marine Commando Force, also called MARCOS, was raised in February 1987. It is the special forces unit of the Indian Navy. Initially, the U.S. Navy SEALs and British special forces trained a few officers of the Indian navy who formed the first core of MARCOS.
• Garud Commandos force (Indian Ari Force): The Garud commandos are the special forces of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Their tasks include counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, providing security to IAF’s assets, and various air force-specific special operations. First conceived in 2002, this unit was officially established on February 6, 2004.

Intelligence and Investigative Agencies

• Research and Analysis Wing (RAW): India’s external intelligence agency, RAW gathers foreign intelligence, engages in counter-terrorism, and promotes India’s foreign strategic interests.
• Intelligence Bureau (IB): Focused on internal intelligence, the IB monitors and neutralizes threats within the country and provides intelligence to law enforcement and the government.
• National Investigation Agency (NIA): It is a central agency established to combat terrorism in India. The NIA has the power to take over the investigation of terrorism-related cases without special permission from the states.
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI): Although not primarily a security agency, the CBI is involved in investigating high-profile crimes, including corruption, economic offences, and special crimes.

Financial Intelligence and Enforcement

• Enforcement Directorate (ED): The ED enforces economic laws and fights economic crimes in India, including money laundering and foreign exchange violations.
• Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND): This unit is responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing, and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions to enforcement agencies.

The mandate of Various Security Forces and Agencies

Department of Defence:

The Department of Defence is mandated with the Defence of India and every part thereof including defence policy.

• It deals with Inter-Services Organizations, the Defence Accounts Department, the Canteen Stores Department (CSD), the Coast Guard, the National Cadet Corps, the Border Roads Organisation, the Institute for Defence Studies and Analysis, the National Defence College etc.
• It is responsible for the Defence Budget, defence lands and cantonments, matters relating to Parliament, and defence cooperation with foreign countries.
• It is headed by the Defence Secretary who is assisted by the Director General (Acquisition), Additional Secretaries and Joint Secretaries.

The Department of Defence consists of the following Wings headed by the concerned Joint Secretary/Additional Secretary:

1. Acquisition
2. Establishment
3. Armed Forces
4. Land, Works and Vigilance
5. International Cooperation
6. Ceremonies, Training, BRO
7. Planning, Coordination & CAO
8. Space, cyber and underwater domains of defence

Indian Army

• Indian Army’s primary mandate is to defend India’s sovereignty and national interests.
• It conducts military operations on land, including conventional warfare, counterinsurgency, and counterterrorism.
• Indian Army secures the country’s borders, maintaining border posts and defending territorial integrity.
• It assists civil authorities in maintaining law and order and dealing with internal security threats.
• Indian Army provides aid during natural disasters and emergencies.
• It contributes to UN peacekeeping missions worldwide.

Indian Navy

• Indian Navy safeguards maritime interests security.
• Conducts surveillance, defence and patrols in EEZ and territorial waters.
• Maintains capabilities projection and protects national interests.
• Plays a crucial role in deterring potential threats.
• Actively involved in providing aid during disasters.
• Engages in cooperation, joint exercises, and initiatives to strengthen relationships.

Air Force

• Indian Air Force defends airspace and deters aerial threats.
• Conducts offensive and defensive including airstrikes and reconnaissance.
• Maintains capabilities for rapid deployment and strategic airlift.
•  Provides support during disasters and humanitarian crises.
• Focuses on maintaining superiority in air warfare capabilities.
• Participates in UN peacekeeping missions, providing air support and logistics.

Ministry of Home Affairs:

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has multifarious responsibilities, important among them being internal security, management of para-military forces, border management, Centre-State relations, administration of Union Territories, disaster management, etc.

Article 355 of the Constitution enjoins the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the Government of every State is carried on by the provisions of the Constitution.

Previous year’s questions on Security

1. Discuss the necessary steps for effective border area management, specifically to deny local support to militants. Also, suggest ways to manage favourable perceptions among locals. (2020)
2. What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in the Eastern part of India? What strategies should the Government of India, civil administration and security forces adopt to counter the threat in the affected areas? (2020)
3. Analyse internal security threats and transborder crimes along the Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders, including the Line of Control (LoC). Also, discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (2020)
4. The terms ‘Hot Pursuit’ and ‘Surgical Strikes’ are often used in connection with armed action against terrorist attacks. Discuss the strategic impact of such actions. (2016)
5. Considering the threats cyberspace poses for the country, India needs “Digital Armed Forces” to prevent crimes. Critically evaluate the National Cyber Security Policy, 2013 outlining the challenges perceived in its effective implementation. (2016)
6. Religious indoctrination via digital media has resulted in Indian youth joining ISIS. What is ISIS and its mission? How can ISIS be dangerous for the internal security of our country? (2015)
7. How does illegal trans-border migration pose a threat to India’s security? Discuss the strategies to curb this, and bring out the factors which give impetus to such migration. (2014)
8. China and Pakistan have agreed on the development of an economic corridor. What threat does it pose to India’s security? Critically examine. (2014)
9. How far are India’s internal security challenges linked with border management, particularly given the long porous borders with most countries of South Asia and Myanmar? (2013)