India borders Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Borders in India are highly complicated, with practically every form of extreme terrain present, such as deserts, rich fields, muddy marshes, or tropical evergreen jungles. It has 14818 kilometres of land boundaries and 7516.6 kilometres of coastline. India shares borders with Pakistan (3323 kilometres), China (3488 kilometres), Nepal (1751 kilometres), Bhutan (699 kilometres), Myanmar (1643 kilometres), and Bangladesh (4096.7 km).

Security forces involved

• Along with the army, we have several additional security services, including the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and the Paramilitary Forces (PMF).
• While the army patrols the LoC and Actual Ground Position Line(AGPL), the Border Security Force (BSF) patrols the international border with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
• The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Assam Rifles have been tasked with guarding the LAC.
• The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is in charge of border patrol with Nepal and Bhutan.
• Border with Myanmar is patrolled by the Assam Rifles.
• In essence, we have four organisations, in addition to the army, defending our borders with six neighbours.
• Maritime boundaries, on the other hand, are patrolled by a single organisation, the Coast Guard.

Need for a single organization

• Among numerous organisations, there is a lack of a consistent strategy regarding training, planning, and the execution of guarding activities.
• Overall coordination suffers as a result.
• Our adversary on the western border has frequently escalated violations by deploying military resources for extended periods of time.
• Provocations by China near the LAC are military operations.

Way forward

• In this circumstance, India need a single security agency that is fully equipped, appropriately armed, and trained in modern military drills and sub-unit tactics to secure our borders.
• To achieve the appropriate training and operational standards, this single security agency should be recognised as a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Defence and function as part of the army.
• Most countries have created specialised and dedicated border security forces.Iran has a Border Guard Command, Italy has a Border Police Service, Russia has a Border Guard Service, and the United States has Homeland Security. Most of these countries have put these organisations under the leadership of the military forces, based on threat perception and to improve battle cohesiveness.
• Mergers: The ITBP and SSB should be fully integrated into the new organisation; the BSF and CRPF still have critical internal security responsibilities and can be partially integrated.
• Manpower from the Army: To improve fighting effectiveness, a certain percentage of manpower, including the officer cadre, should be deputised from the army.
• The reorganised Assam Rifles should also continue to perform counter-insurgency operations and serve as a reserve for the army during conventional operations.

How to structure

1. Give an intro about India’s borders and the importance of managing it- Use maps
2. Mention the security agencies involved
3. Take stand on whether a single agency is needed- support your argument with relevant reasons
4. Conclude

Reference:

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/why-india-needs-a-single-agency-to-guard-its-borders-7735976