Special Protection Group

Special Protection Group
विशेष सुरक्षा दल
Abbreviation SPG
SPG Logo
Flag of the Special Protection Group.
Motto शौर्यम् समर्पणम् सुरक्षणम्
Bravery, Dedication, Security
Agency overview
Formed 2 June, 1988
Annual budget INR 408.98 crore[1]
Legal personality Governmental: Government agency
Jurisdictional structure
Federal agency
(Operations jurisdiction) 		India
International agency
Countries India and abroad[2]
Legal jurisdiction As per operations jurisdiction.
Governing body Cabinet Secretariat
Constituting instrument Special Protection Group Act, 1988
General nature
Specialist jurisdiction Protection of international or domestic VIPs, protection of significant state asseets.
Operational structure
Overviewed by Ministry of Home Affairs
Headquarters New Delhi
Agency executive Vivek Srivastav, Director
Child agency Central Armed Police Forces Railway Protection Force State Police
Website
www.spg.nic.in

The Special Protection Group (SPG) (Hindi: विशेष सुरक्षा दल) is a security force of India formed in 1988 by an act of the Parliament of India for "providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and former Prime Minister of India and members of their immediate families (wife, husband, children and parents)".[3][4] Family members of a serving Prime Minister (PM) may decline security. Former PMs and their immediate family members may also, if they choose, decline SPG security.[3]

The "general superitendence, direction and control" of the SPG is exercised by, the Central Government.[3] The head of the force, called a Director, is appointed by the Central Govt. He is responsible for "the command and supervision" of the force.[3] The director of the SPG since its inception has been an officer from the Indian Police service.[5] Personnel of the Special Protection Group are drawn from Central Armed Police Forces & Railway Protection Force.[6][7]

Organization

The Director of the SPG, an officer of IG and some times Director General rank, is assisted by number of Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, Joint Assistant Directors.[3][5] The SPG is divided broadly into the following four categories:

SPG giving protection to PM Narendra Modi

Contact with the Media

Members of the SPG are barred by the SPG Act,1988, from contact with the media and from publishing or collaborating in publication of "any book, letter or other document".[3]

History

Special Protection Group Counter Assault Team(CAT)commandos outside the Red Fort in New Delhi

Before 1981, the security of the Prime Minister of India at the Prime Minister's residence was the responsibility of the Special Security District of the Delhi Police under the charge of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP). In October 1981, a Special Task Force (STF) was raised by the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to provide ring-round and escort to the Prime Minister in and out of New Delhi.

After the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in October 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 unitary and direct control of a designated Officer and the STF to provide immediate security cover both in New Delhi and outside. These decisions were taken as short-term measures.

Then on February 18, 1985, the Ministry of Home Affairs set up the Birbal Nath Committee to go into the issue in its entirety and submit its recommendation. In March 1985, the Birbal Nath Committee submitted its recommendations of raising a Special Protection Unit (SPU). On 30 March 1985, the President of India created 819 posts for the unit under the Cabinet Secretariat. The SPU was then re-christened Special Protection Group and the post of Inspector General of Police was re-designated as Director.

The SPG came into being on 8 April 1985 when Dr. S. Subramaniam, then Joint Director (VIP Security) in the Intelligence Bureau assumed office. Creation of the SPG required an elaborate exercise in order to clearly delineate responsibility of various agencies concerned with the security of the Prime Minister. The provisions contained in the Blue Book, which lays down security guidelines for the protection of the Prime Minister, had to be harmoniously blended with this new concept of proximate security.

IB and the State/UT Police concerned were responsible for coordination, collection and dissemination of intelligence affecting VIP security. State/UT Police and the SPG were responsible for providing physical security arrangements for the Prime Minister, while the IB was to provide the required intelligence inputs to these operational agencies. The SPG functioned as a security group purely on the strength of an Executive Order for three years without a legislation, from April 1985 to June 1988.

The SPG was constituted and trained specially to provide protection to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, in view of the threats to him from several sources. But, the organization created for the proximate security of Prime Minister Gandhi, did not contemplate provision of protection to him when he ceased to be Prime Minister, and faced magnified threats. SPG cover for Rajiv Gandhi was withdrawn once he ceased to be Prime Minister. After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991, the SPG Act was amended in 1991 to provide security to former Prime Ministers and their immediate families for a period of 10 years from the date on which the former Prime Minister ceased to hold office.

Multiple sources have alleged that the Special Protection Group has an unofficial policy whereby Muslims or Sikhs are not recruited for this service.[8][9][10]

Vehicles

Ground transport

The Prime Minister's cavalcade comprises a dozen odd vehicles, including two armoured BMW series 7 sedans, six BMW X3 and a Mercedes Benz ambulance. A Tata Safari jammer also accompany the PM's convoy, besides a few more escort vehicles.

SPG beside BMW at Rashtrapati Bhawan

The SPG manages these vehicles & may, go for slight changes or decide to go for a new one as per the new Prime Minister's choice. The vehicle, is believed to be able to secure the occupants from landmine blasts to Kalashnikov's bullets. It can run for kilometers even on flat tyres and are fitted with advance heat sensors to ward off missiles and bombs. While the fuel tanks are made such that they don't explode during an attack, its cabin also turns into a gas-proofchamber and ensures oxygen supply to secure the occupant in cases of gas attacks. For official movement the limousine is affixed with Indian flag. For unofficial events the vehicles are left sterile and unadorned.[16]

The custom- made BMW XSeries is a 4,799cc sports utility vehicle(SUV) with a twin-turbocharged 4.8-liter V8 engine delivering 547;bhp. The hatchback is bulletproof, mineproof and carries an armour plating.

The virtually armoured cars carry secure phone and on- board monitor with TV function. They guzzle a litre of petrol for about every seven kilometres. The basic model costs Rs 78.60 lakh. Customised versions can cost up to Rs 15 crore, depending upon the security features. Initially, only two such cars were purchased, but the fleet continues to grow from six 7-series sedans to 15 new SUVs.

This vehicle is used to counter guided attacks, such as IEDs, Rocket Propelled Grenades, and Anti-Tank Guided Missiles. The antennas mounted on the roof are solely used in barrage jamming applications, the primary method used to counter IED threats. The antenna configuration can be changed according to threat level, for instance, taller antennas are used to increase the jamming protection distance, or change jamming frequency ranges. There are two dome-shaped EW Sensors. The EW sensors are most likely Millimeter-Wave radars used to detect the launch of an RPG (Rocket Propelled Grenades) or laser range finder illumination and launch of an Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM).

Convoy up-gradation

On cutting down government expenditure, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had shot down a proposal from the Special Protection Group (SPG) to upgrade his convoy, specially the car in which he travels.

Air transport

Air India One (also referred to as AI-1 or AIC001 ) is the call sign of any Air India aircraft carrying the Prime Minister of India, President of India or the Vice President of India. Air India is the national airline of India. The aircraft is operated as VIP flights by the Indian Air Force (IAF)

Indian Air Force Boeing 737-200 SDS-2

Apart from the Boeing 747-400 owned by Air India and used on international state visits, the IAF currently owns four 14 seater Embraer 135 and three customized 46 seater Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) that have a VIP cabin and are used for VIP movement. Of these the Boeing 747s are used by either the Prime Minister,President or Vice President when on official overseas visits.

Upgrade

The Government has chosen the ultra long-haul Boeing 777-300 (extended range) aircraft to replace the ageing B747s that serve as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Air India One fleet.

The Defence Ministry has approved the "conversion" of six new Mi-17 V5s into VVIP helicopters to replace the old Mi-8 helicopters with IAF's elite Communication Squadron to ferry the President and PM within the country. This has become necessary after India in January this year scrapped the 556 million euros contract for 12 swanky AW-101 helicopters, which was inked with AgustaWestland in February 2010, due to allegations of bribery. Mi-17 V5s have advanced avionics, on-board navigation systems and night-vision devices, but they cannot really be a substitute for VVIP helicopters. The SPG wanted the VVIP helicopters to have "high tail booms" to allow cars to come right next to the rear exit staircase without "exposing" VVIPs to a threat from anyone in the vicinity, additional transit range, better crash- worthiness and armour protection.

Used once while transporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to INS Vikramaditya, the aircraft carrier. However it was operated by the Indian Navy


PM Narendra Modi in Colombo

During an overseas visit to Sri Lanka Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to Colombo from Jaffna in a C-130 J Indian Air Force aircraft.

Attire

The elite force is wary of being perceived as rude bodyguards. In fact, the SPG men dress in the trademark safari suits during summer and formal suits during winter to appear refined and graceful. The agents are often portrayed wearing reflective sunglasses and a communication earpiece. Often their attire is customized to conceal the wide array of equipment they wear while working protection assignments.

Equipment

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Budget 2014 focuses on women safety, creating infra in Naxal states". Financial Express. 18 February 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  2. ↑ Section 6, Special Protection Group Act, 1988
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 The Gazette of India (June 7, 1988). "THE SPECIAL PROTECTION GROUP ACT 1988 [AS AMENDED IN 1991, 1994 & 1999]". No. 30. New Delhi: The Government of India. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Mayawati not entitled to SPG cover under law - The Times of India". The Times Of India.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Prasad's appointment as SPG chief stuns many". Times of India. Nov 3, 2011. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "Why Special Protection Group is a big talent pool for India Inc". http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com''. Economic Times. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  7. ↑ "Deputation". http://www.indianrailways.gov.in''. Ministry of Railways, Government of India. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  8. ↑ Why Intel Agencies Are Wary Of Hiring Muslims And Sikhs
  9. ↑ http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Manmohan-Singh-Cant-Have-A-Sikh-Bodyguard/233089
  10. ↑ http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/HK15Df01.html
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Unnithan, Sandeep (2008-08-22). "If looks could kill". India Today. Retrieved 2009-04-04.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Unnithan, Sandeep (September 01, 2005). "SPG Gets More Teeth". India Today (ISSN 0254-8399).
  13. ↑ Swami, Praveen (8 April 2009). "Mumbai Police's Modernisation Programme Built Around Outdated, Inappropriate Weapons". Chennai, India: The Hindu: Online Edition of India's National Newspaper. Retrieved 2009-08-29.

External links