Context:
61st Raising Day function of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) held at Siliguri in West Bengal
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB):
- Operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Part of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), along with 6 other central security forces:
- Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police, and National Security Guard.
- History –
- Established as the Special Service Bureau in May 1963, following the Chinese aggression in 1962.
- Designated as the lead intelligence agency for the Indo-Nepal border in June 2001.
- Assigned the Indo-Bhutan border in 2004.
- Received the President’s Colours in 2004 for its significant role in national security.
- Headquarters – Main headquarters in New Delhi.
- Frontier headquarters in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Patna (Bihar), and Guwahati (Assam).
- Operational Areas: Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders.
- Covers the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh.
- Responsibilities:
- Promote a sense of security among people living in border areas.
- Prevent trans-border crimes and unauthorized entry or exit from Indian territory.
- Prevent smuggling and other illegal activities along Indian frontiers.
Siliguri Corridor:
- Located in West Bengal.
- A narrow stretch of land, surrounded by Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh
- Referred to as the ‘Chicken Neck’ due to its narrow shape.
- Only land link between India and its northeastern states.
Source: PIB
Previous Year Question
Department of Border Management is a Department of which one of the following Union Ministries?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2008 Prelims]
(a) Ministry of Defence
(b) Ministry of Home Affairs
(c) Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways
(d) Ministry of Environment and Forests
Answer: (b)
