In a significant move, the Union government has decided to overhaul the VIP security apparatus by removing the National Security Guard (NSG) commandos from protecting high-risk individuals and handing over their security to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The transition, which is expected to be completed within a month, involves nine prominent ‘Z plus’ category VIPs who will now be guarded by CRPF personnel.
This decision marks a major shift in how India manages the security of its top leaders. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the creation of a new battalion within the CRPF, comprising personnel who were previously assigned to Parliament security duties. This battalion will now be deployed to provide protection to the nine high-profile individuals previously under the watch of the elite NSG, often known as ‘black cat’ commandos.
The VIPs affected by this transition include Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, veteran BJP leader L.K. Advani, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and several other influential political figures such as Mayawati, Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sarbananda Sonowal, and Raman Singh. These individuals are considered to be under high-risk threat levels, which is why they were initially assigned to the NSG.
Shift in Strategy
The NSG, originally established in 1984 to handle counter-terrorism and counter-hijack operations, had been progressively assigned the additional responsibility of securing VIPs. However, this was not part of its original mandate, and the burden of providing VIP security began to limit the NSG’s core functions. Over the years, there has been growing concern that this allocation of NSG commandos for VIP security is detracting from their primary role of rapid counter-terrorism response.
This restructuring aims to allow the NSG to refocus on its original charter. Sources have indicated that over 450 NSG commandos will be relieved from VIP security duties, freeing them up for specialized operations. The government plans to deploy NSG strike teams in high-risk areas, such as near the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and critical assets in the southern parts of the country, where their counter-terrorism expertise will be put to better use.
The MHA has also sanctioned the deployment of a seventh VIP security battalion under the CRPF, which will absorb the tasks currently handled by the NSG. This battalion comprises personnel who were reassigned after the CRPF was replaced by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) for guarding the Parliament following a security breach last year.
Advanced Security Protocols
Two of the VIPs in this list, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, will continue to receive advanced security protocols, including the Advanced Security Liaison (ASL). The ASL involves a pre-emptive reconnaissance of locations that the VIP will visit, ensuring any threats are neutralized before they arrive. The CRPF already employs this protocol for other high-profile figures like Home Minister Amit Shah, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and the Gandhis—Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
The transfer of VIP security responsibilities from the NSG to the CRPF is part of a long-standing plan that dates back to 2012, when security experts began to question the use of NSG commandos for such duties. The concern was that should multiple terror attacks happen simultaneously, the NSG’s deployment for VIP protection could compromise its ability to respond effectively. In fact, in 2020, after the removal of the Special Protection Group (SPG) from guarding the Gandhi family, discussions about reducing the NSG’s role in VIP security gained momentum.
A New Era for NSG
With this latest move, the NSG will now have a more streamlined focus on counter-terror operations and reducing the burden of protecting high-risk individuals. This decision comes just as the NSG celebrates its 40th anniversary of its formation. For more than two decades, the NSG commandos have played a critical role in guarding some of India’s most prominent figures, but the Union government believes it is time to reassign this responsibility to forces like the CRPF, which are better equipped to handle long-term VIP security duties.
The NSG’s involvement in VIP security duties was originally meant to be temporary. The government’s decision to phase them out aligns with its broader aim of ensuring the elite force can focus exclusively on its core task of counter-terrorism and emergency response.
The complete transfer of responsibilities between the NSG and the CRPF is expected to be concluded by November. As the NSG steps away from this role, the CRPF will now be tasked with guarding India’s top leaders, ensuring their safety through a blend of experience, newly allocated resources, and highly trained personnel.
This strategic reshuffling of security roles underscores the government’s long-term vision to bolster the country’s counter-terrorism capabilities while maintaining the safety of its political and public figures.
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