BSF History and BSF Uniform

The Border Security Force (BSF) continues to hold the reins of power when it comes to handling the always volatile situation in Pakistan. Nearly 2.7 lakh officers and jawans make up the force, which is in charge of securing the sensitive border. The officers donning BSF uniform patrol the 85 km of coastline between Kashmir and Rajasthan as well as the 2289.6 km of international border with Pakistan. Not just that. The 143 km of the Line of Control (LoC), which is being guarded by both the Army and BSF, is also under their control. In a similar vein, the force is manning Bangladesh's critical eastern border.

The BSF's jawans contend with challenging terrain and Rajasthani temperatures that sometimes reach 50 degrees. The personnel are on duty constantly and make sure that not just the border but also the adjacent residents are safe and secure. Law and order responsibilities in urban areas, anti-Naxal and counterinsurgency drills, and disaster response are all additional tasks assigned to the BSF.

HISTORY

The State Armed Police Force battalions were responsible for guarding India's border with Pakistan up until 1965. In April 1965, Sardar Post, Chhar Bet, and Beria Bet were attacked by Pakistan in Kutch. The incident demonstrated that the state police force was ill-prepared to meet the issue. To discuss the ideas, a meeting was called in Delhi.

When KF Rustamji attended a high-level meeting on internal security in Delhi in 1965, the history of the BSF began. To propose the creation of the BSF and persuade other parties, Rustamji was the only voice from the police side. He was summoned to Delhi a few weeks after the conference and ordered to assume control of raising the BSF. To protect the borders and stop illegal infiltration, the force was established.

The BSF was established in 1965 with 25 battalions and expanded on all fronts. They currently have 192 battalions (including 3 from the NDRF) and 7 BSF Arty Regiments manning the borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan. It is the only organisation of this kind having a dedicated air wing that is overseen by an inspector general.

STRENGTH AND STRUCTURE

Currently, the BSF has 192 battalions, an aviation wing, a water wing, and artillery units, making it the second-largest paramilitary organisation in India. A senior IPS officer at the director general level oversees the force. At the highest level, the BSF is split into commands and boundaries. A special director general (SDG) level officer leads both the eastern and western commands. The SDG of the western command is in charge of and watches over the borders with Gujarat, Jammu, Punjab, and Srinagar. The SDG (east) controls the borders of South and North Bengal, Meghalaya, Manipur and Cachar, Tripura, Guwahati, and other states.

Four more director generals are in charge of the academy, operations, logistics, and human resources at a different level within the division. The force is split up into nine directorates, each of which is in charge of a variety of departments, including personnel, operations, administrative, general, training, communication and information technology, supply, air wing, and medical. An official with the rank of inspector general oversees each frontier.

BUDGET

The Indian government has consistently increased the BSF's budget in light of the situation at the Indo-Pak border in order to ensure that the force can buy the necessary equipment without running into financial difficulties. The BSF's overall budget, which was over Rs 19,000 crore in 2020, has been enhanced for the fiscal year 2022–2023 by roughly Rs 3,000 crore.

BSF UNIFORM

The BSF task force dons a combat uniform that is comfortable, climate friendly and features a disruptive pattern. The design of the uniform, which incorporates a variety of colours, including olive and khaki, was done while taking into account factors like the troops' deployment zones and operational climates. Other than the combat uniform, the BSF officers are also spotted in khaki uniforms as well as ceremonial olive uniforms, occasionally.

Owing to the diverse climatic conditions that the BSF jawaans operate in, there are several climatic components to the BSF uniform for example the combat jacket, with the same disruptive pattern as their combat dress to provide them with extra warmth without compromising on their safety because of the camouflage print.

Keeping in mind the uniform guidelines to be followed by BSF officers, uniformer has launched a BSF uniform collection wherein all the BSF officers can buy the combat dress, khaki uniform or BSF jackets online from www.uniformer.in across India. The brand, uniformer, has become an answer to the best quality uniforms for police and paramilitary forces in India, with free delivery and easy returns policy.