National Security Guards
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| Military Man Power | |
|---|---|
| Total armed forces | 2,414,700 (Ranked 3rd) |
| Active troops | 1,414,000 (Ranked 3rd) |
| Total troops | 3,773,300 (Ranked 6th) |
| Paramilitary forces | 1,089,700 |
| Components | |
| Indian Army |  |
| Indian Air Force |  |
| Indian Navy |  |
| Indian Coast Guard |  |
| Indian Paramilitary Forces | |
| Strategic Nuclear Command | |
| History | |
| Military history of India | |
| Ranks | |
| Air Force ranks and insignia of India | |
| Army ranks and insignia of India | |
| Naval ranks and insignia of India | |
National Security Guards (NSG) is India's premier counter-terrorism force, created by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of 1985. The NSG operates under the oversight of the Ministry of Home Affairs and is headed by the Director General of the Indian Police Service (IPS). The NSG members are also known as Black Cats because of the black nomex coveralls and balaclavas or assault helmets they wear.
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[edit] Functions
The NSG's roles include protecting VIPs, conducting anti-sabotage checks, rescuing hostages, neutralizing terrorist threats to vital installations, engaging terrorists and responding to hijacking and piracy. The NSG is much sought after for VVIP security for high-risk VVIPs in India; this task is done by the SRG of the NSG. The SAG is strike force in anti-terrorist and anti-hijack operations, supported by the SRG and others. NSG's specific goals include:
- Neutralization of terrorist threats
- Handling hijacking situations in air and on land
- Engaging and neutralizing terrorists in specific situations
- Rescue of hostages
The NSG has a total personnel strength of about 7,500. The main units are - the Special Action Group (SAG) and the Special Rangers Group. The SAG is the offensive wing drawn from members of the Indian Army. The SRG consists of members from other paramilitary forces such as the Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). There are other specialized units also.
The NSG Training Centre is a Centre of Excellence and the National Bomb Data Centre holds international conferences.
They continue updating their weaponry and surveillance devices to have state-of-the-art equipment. The training regimen is extremely regular and thorough. The Force is also parachute trained.
[edit] History
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The neutrality of this section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page. |
The NSG was established under the National Security Guard Act of 1986, in response to the 1984 Operation Bluestar, the storming of the Golden Temple by the Indian military, which caused widespread damage to the temple and heavy casualties, including civilians. The operation highlighted the need for a special force to conduct counter-terrorist operations with greater efficiency.
The NSG commandos were first used to combat the insurgency movement in the Indian state of Punjab in 1985. They have now evolved into a counter-terrorist unit and have been continuing major combat operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
The NSG has been deployed only rarely since its birth. Recently, it under took Operation Vajra Shakti to end the Akshardham Temple siege in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
Some of the NSG's previous operations include:
- May 12, 1988 — assault on the Golden Temple during Operation Black Thunder II
- April 25, 1994 — rescue of hijacked plane Indian Airlines Boeing 737 during Operation Ashwamedh
- October, 1998 — major combat missions in Jammu and Kashmir
- July 15, 1999 — rescue of 12 hostages held by armed Islamic terrorists who had stormed an apartment complex in Kashmir and killed 4 people
- September 25, 2002 — operation to free hostages held by Islamic terrorists who had killed 26 worshippers at the Akshardham temple in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. They suffered their only combat death till date in this operation. Another commando, who was seriously injured and was in a coma, died after 18 months.
[edit] See also
[edit] In Fiction
- Kashmeeram - A Malayalam movie
- Keerthi Chakra -- A Malayalam movie directed by Major Ravi starring Mohanlal
[edit] External links
- NSG. National Security Guard.: Official Website of NSG
- India Defence. National Security Guards. Retrieved on May 14, 2006.
- Bharat Rakshak. National Security Guards. Retrieved on May 14, 2006.
- Federation of American Scientists. National Security Guards. Retrieved on May 14, 2006.
