BSF is a Border Guarding Force of India. Established on December 1, 1965 after the India Pakistan war, BSF is a paramilitary force charged with guarding India's land borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. Until that time, the border with Pakistan was guarded by the State Armed Police Battalion.
The ethos of the BSF is: “Any task, any time, any where” and Its motto is “Jeevan Paryant Kartavya” meaning “Duty Unto Death”. Recommended Books for General Studies Preparation for UPSC Prelims & Mains
It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of Union of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Other Central Armed Police Forces are: Assam Rifles (AR), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), National Security Guards (NSG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
K F Rustamji, IPS was the first chief and the founding father of the organization. Must Read: Paramilitary, Reserve Forces & other Internal Security Organisations
Currently there are about 186 battalions and strength of 2.65-lakh personnel.
It is deployed on Indo-Pakistan International Border, Indo-Bangladesh International Border, Line of Control (LoC) along with Indian Army and in Anti-Naxal Operations.
The BSF has air wing, marine wing, an artillery regiment, and commando units. It currently stands as the world's largest border guarding force.
BSF has been defending Sir Creak in Arabian Sea and Sundarban delta in the Bay of Bengal with its state of art fleet of Water Crafts.
BSF has an instrumental role in helping state administration in maintaining Law and Order and conduct of peaceful election.
BSF has been crusading against natural calamity to save precious human lives as and when warranted.
It has special battalions for dealing with all types of disasters including Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) disasters.
It contributes dedicated services to the UN peacekeeping Mission by sending a large contingent of its trained manpower every year.
It has been termed as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories.
The organization has its own cadre of officers but the chief is always an Indian Police Service (IPS) Officer.
The BSF’s major engagements have been in the Indo-Pakistani war in 1971, Operation Blue Star, Operation Black Thunder, Operation Vijay in the Kargil War, and border skirmishes between Pakistan and Bangladesh in the 2000’s.
