The Border Security Force, also known as BSF was established on December 1, 1965 as a border patrol agency of India. This paramilitary force was appointed to guard India`s land borders during peacetime and preventing international crime. The Border Security Force is a Union Government agency that works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Border Security Force is one of many law enforcement agencies of India and presently is said to be the world`s largest border guarding force. The current strength of the Border Security Force is at about 157 battalions, or 220,000 men.
The Republic of India is a federal state; the political power is shared between the federal government, usually referred to as the Union Government or Central Government and the states and territories of India. From independence in 1947 to 1965, the local armed police battalions of every border state guarded India`s international boundaries. However, there was very little interstate coordination.
The Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 confirmed the insufficiency of the existing border management system and thus urged the formation of the Border Security Force as a united central agency with the specific command of guarding India`s international boundaries. The Border Security Force `s paramilitary capabilities were used in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 at its best against Pakistani forces in areas where the Indian Armed Forces was sparsely spread. Border Security Force troops took part in the Battle of Longewala bravely.
The primary goal of Border Security Force is to guard India`s external boundaries; however, it has more tasks. One of them is helping the Indian Army in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations. When the rebellion in Jammu and Kashmir broke out in 1989, the Jammu and Kashmir state police and the limited Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) struggled to stand against the spiraling violence, and the Indian government positioned the Border Security Force to Jammu and Kashmir to fight back the Islamic militants.
The Border Security Force often suffers casualties from uprising attacks but the numbers of successes of this agency are far more. The arrest of militant leaders, after setting up an intelligence network and working with local civilians made the job of the Border Security Force in order to fight back the frontier terrorism. The Border Security Force successfully dealt with the cases of Ghazi Baba, second-in-command of Jaish-e-Mohammed and the mastermind of the 2001 Indian Parliament attack in August 2003. The Border Security Force raided Baba`s hideout in Srinagar and also came out successful in the gun battle.
The success of Border Security Force in counter-terrorisms attacks cannot be unnoticed; The Director General controls the Border Security Force, who is one of the officials from the Indian Police Service.
Army Awards for the Border Security Force -
| Mahavir Chakra | Vishist Seva Medal |
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Police Medal for Meritorious Service |
| Vir Chakra | Padamshri |
| Kirti Chakra | PM Medal for life saving |
| Shaurya Chakra | President Police Medal for Distinguished Service |
| Padma Bhushan | Police Medal for Gallantry |
| Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | President"s Police Medal for Gallantry |
| Sena Medal | Arjuna Awards |
