Internal Security

Security Forces and Agencies – Role & Mandate

 Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI)
• The DRI is the apex anti-smuggling agency of India, working under
the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs, Ministry of Finance,
Government of India.
• It collects intelligence and conducts investigations & operations
against smuggling.
• It is tasked with detecting and curbing smuggling of contraband,
including drug trafficking and illicit international trade in wildlife
and environmentally sensitive items, as well as combating
commercial frauds related to international trade and evasion of
Customs duty.
 Charter of DRI
• Collection of Intelligence about smuggling of contraband goods, narcotics, under-
invoicing etc. through sources in India and abroad, including secret sources.
• Analysis and dissemination of such intelligence to the field formations for action and
working on such intelligence, where necessary.
• Keeping watch over important seizures and investigation cases. Associating or taking
over the investigations which warrant specialized handling by the directorate.
• Guiding important investigation/prosecution cases. Keeping liaison with foreign
countries, Indian Missions and enforcement agencies abroad on anti- smuggling
matters.
• To keep liaison with CBI and through them with the INTERPOL.
• To keep statistics of seizures and prices/rates of contraband, for watching emerging
trends in smuggling and supply required material to the Ministry of Finance and other
Ministries.
• To study and suggest remedies for loopholes existing in the law and procedures to
combat smuggling.
Investigation Agencies
 National Investigation Agency
• The NIA was established with the enactment of the NIA Act, 2008 following the 26/11
attacks.
• It acts as the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency.
• The agency is empowered to deal with terror related crimes across states without
special permission from the states.
• The act also provides for special NIA courts in order to fast track terror related cases.
• The act empowers the NIA to probe terror attacks in any part of the country, covering
offences, including challenge to the country's sovereignty and integrity, bomb blasts,
hijacking of aircraft and ships, attacks on nuclear installations.
• The amendments to the NIA Act has brought the offences relating to the smuggling in
High-Quality Counterfeit Indian Currency under the definition of a terrorist act aimed
at damaging the monetary stability of the country and therefore can be investigated
by the NIA.
 The NIA (Amendment) Bill, 2019
It has brought in three major amendments to the NIA Act of 2008 -
1. First change – The type of offences that the NIA can investigate
and prosecute.
§ Under the existing Act, the NIA can investigate offences under Acts
such as the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Unlawful Activities
Prevention Act, 1967.
§ The latest amendments will enable the NIA to additionally
investigate offences related to human trafficking, counterfeit
currency, manufacture or sale of prohibited arms, cyber-terrorism,
and offences under the Explosive Substances Act, 1908.
 The NIA (Amendment) Bill, 2019
2. Second change – Pertains to NIA’s jurisdiction
§ Under the Act, for the offences under its purview, NIA officers have the same
power as other police officers and these extend across the country.
§ The Bill amends this to give NIA officers the power to investigate offences
committed outside India.
§ Of course, NIA’s jurisdiction will be subject to international treaties and
domestic laws of other countries.
§ This amendment will now also allow NIA to investigate Sri Lanka’s Easter
Sunday bombings and Kabul’s Gurudwara bombing.
 The NIA (Amendment) Bill, 2019
3. Third change - relates to special trials courts
• The existing Act allows the central government to constitute Special Courts for
the trial of scheduled offences.
• The Bill amends this to state that the central government may designate
Sessions Courts as Special Courts for the trial of scheduled offences.
• The central government is required to consult the Chief Justice of the High
Court under which the Sessions Court is functioning, before designating it as a
Special Court.
• When more than one Special Court has been designated for any area, the
senior-most judge will distribute cases among the courts.
 Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
• It is a premier investigating agency of India.
• It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.
• The CBI traces its origins to the Special Police Establishment which was set up in 1941 by the
British Government to investigate bribery and corruption in the War and Supply Department of
India.
• It was transferred to the Home Department by the 1946 Delhi Special Police Establishment
(DSPE) Act.
• The DSPE was converted to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) through a home ministry
resolution in 1963.
• Its jurisdiction was expanded to investigate breaches of central laws enforceable by the
Government of India, multi-state organised crime, multi-agency or international cases.
• The agency has been known to investigate several economic crimes, special crimes, cases of
corruption and other cases.
• CBI is India's officially designated single point of contact for liaison with the Interpol.
 Politicization of CBI
• Excessive politicization – misuse by ruling party
• Targeting of dissent, opposition parties, regional parties & media
• Two types of consent – General Consent & Specific Consent
• Several states have withdrawn General Consent – There are at least
seven states at present which have withdrawn general consent to
the CBI requiring the agency to seek case-specific permission. They
are Mizoram, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh,
Kerala and Jharkhand.
 Enforcement Directorate
• It is a law enforcement agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and
fighting economic crime in India.

• It is under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.

• It was established in 1956 under the Department of Economic Affairs, for

handling Exchange Control Law violations under Foreign Exchange Regulation
Act, 1947.

• The prime objective of the Enforcement Directorate is the enforcement of two

key Acts - the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and the Prevention
of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA).
 Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)
• It is the Nodal drug law enforcement and intelligence agency of India
responsible for fighting drug trafficking and the abuse of illegal substances.
• The Narcotics Control bureau was created in 1986 to enable the full
implementation of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985
and fight its violation through the Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotic
Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1988.
• The law was established to fulfill India’s treaty obligations under the –
i. Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs
ii. Convention on Psychotropic Substances
iii. United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances.
 Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)
It refers to the seven security forces under the authority of Ministry of
Home Affairs -
1. Assam Rifles
2. Border Security Force
3. Indo-Tibetan Border Police
4. Sashastra Seema Bal
5. Central Reserve Police Force
6. Central Industrial Security Force
7. National Security Guards
 Roles of CAPFs
• Border Management
• Prevent trans-national organized crime in border areas
• Counter-Insurgency
• Counter – Terrorism
• Internal Security
• Second line of defence during war
• Collect border level intelligence
• Disaster Management
• Protect sensitive installations
• UN Peacekeeping operations
 Assam Rifles
• It is the oldest paramilitary force of India which was formed under
the British in 1835.
• Since 2002 it has been guarding the Indo-Myanmar border as per
the “One Border One Force” policy
• It is also responsible for conducting counter insurgency and border
security operations under the operational command of the Indian
Army.
• Dual Control Structure – MoD & MHA
• Administrative control is with the Home Ministry and the
Operational control is with the Defence Ministry.
 Border Security Force (BSF)
• It was raised in the wake of the 1965 War for ensuring the security
of the borders of India.
• It is responsible for guarding India’s land border with Pakistan and
Bangladesh and preventing trans-national crime along these
borders.
• It currently stands as the world’s largest border guarding force.
 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
• It was raised in 1962 in the wake of the India-China War of 1962.
• It is responsible for guarding India’s border with China.
• It specializes in high altitude deployment.
• The ITBP is trained in running Civil Medical Camps, disaster management,
and nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.
• ITBP personnel have been deployed abroad in UN peacekeeping missions in
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Western Sahara,
Sudan, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.
• ITBP Commandos were also deployed in Afghanistan to protect the Indian
Embassy, Consulates & Diplomats.
• Two battalions of ITBP are deputed to National Disaster Response Force.
 Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
• It was established in 1963 as the Special Service Bureau, following the
Sino- Indian War.
• The primary task of the force was to provide armed support for RAW.
• Its secondary objective was to inculcate feelings of national belonging in
the border population and assist them in developing their capabilities
for resistance through a continuous process of motivation, training,
development, welfare programmes and activities in the then NEFA,
North Assam.
• It primary purpose was to counter any act of aggression by the Chinese
People’s Liberation Army.
• Post-Kargil war, it was renamed as the Sashastra Seema Bal guarding
India’s borders with Nepal & Bhutan.
 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
• It came into existence as the Crown Representative’s Police in 1939.
• After Independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force with the enactment
of the CRPF Act in 1949.
• It is deployed in an internal security role to maintain law and order and carry out
counter-insurgency operations.
• Currently it is deployed as the primary anti-naxal force to assist state police forces.
• It has also raised a special force called COBRA for guerilla warfare in naxal areas.
• It is also deployed in Jammu & Kashmir to assist the Indian Army in COIN ops and
maintain law and order.
• The Rapid Action Force (RAF) is a specialised branch of the Central Reserve Police
Force. It was formed in 1992, to deal with communal riots and civil unrest.
 Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
• It was set up under an Act of the Parliament of India in 1969.
• The CISF provides security cover to 300 industrial units, government
infrastructure projects and facilities and establishments located all over India.
• Industrial units like atomic power plants, space installations, mines, oil fields
and refineries, major ports, airports, heavy engineering, steel plants,
barrages, fertilizer units, airports and hydroelectric/thermal power plants
owned and controlled by Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and
currency note presses producing Indian Currency are protected by CISF.
• CISF also provides consultancy services to private industries as well as other
organisations within the Indian Government.
• The consulting wing has amongst its clients some of the renowned business
houses and organisations.
 National Security Guard (NSG)
• It is an elite counter-terrorism unit 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”.
• It specializes in anti-hostage & anti-hijack situations and as well as in Urban Combat, Bomb
disposal and VIP protection.
• 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) which is the police component of NSG provides support to
the SAG and also handles VIP security. It is composed of personnel on deputation from other
CAPF’s and State Police Forces.
• It has established the National Bomb Data Centre to record and analyze various bombing
incidents from around the world to gain expertise and knowledge in bombing and related
incidents.
• Lacks Air lift capabilities
• 26/11 Attacks – Regional deployment
 Special Protection Group (SPG)
• It provides proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and used to provide the same for
former Prime Ministers of India and members of their immediate families.
• It was formed in 1988 by an act of the Parliament of India.
• It functions under the Cabinet Secretariat.
• After the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984, a review was undertaken by
a committee of Secretaries and it was decided to entrust security of the Prime Minister to a
Special Group under the unitary and direct control of the central government.
• After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991, the SPG Act was amended in 1991 to
provide security to former Prime Ministers, their immediate families for a period of 10 years
from the date on which the former Prime Minister ceased to hold office.
• In 2019, the Government of India decided to withdraw SPG Cover for the families of former
Prime Ministers and accorded them with Z+ Security after conducting a threat assessment.
 National Security Council
• It is an executive government agency tasked with advising the Prime Minister’s Office
on matters of national security and strategic interest.
• It was established in 1998 and it is headed by the National Security Advisor (NSA).
• The NSC is the apex body of the three-tiered structure of the national security
management system in India.
• The three tiers are –
• Strategic Policy Group
• National Security Advisory Board
• Joint Intelligence Committee.
• The Strategic Policy Group is the first level of the three tier structure of the National
Security Council. It forms the nucleus of the decision-making apparatus of the NSC.