The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is one of the seven Central Armed Police

Forces of India, raised on 24 October 1962, under the CRPF Act, in the wake of the Sino-Indian
War of 1962. The ITBP was intended for deployment along India's border with Tibet.

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In September 1996, the Parliament of India enacted the "Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act,
1992" to "provide for the constitution and regulation" of the ITBP "for ensuring the security of the
borders of India and for matters connected therewith".[4][5] The first head of the ITBP, designated
Inspector General, was Balbir Singh, a police officer previously belonging to the Intelligence
Bureau. The ITBP, which started with 4 battalions, has since restructuring in 1978 has
undergone expansion to a force of 60 Battalions with 15 Sectors and 05 Frontiers as of
2018[6] with a sanctioned strength of 89,432.[7]
The ITBP is trained in Civil Medical Camp, disaster management, and nuclear, biological and
chemical disasters. ITBP personnel have been deployed abroad in UN peacekeeping missions
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Western Sahara, Sudan, Afghanistan
and elsewhere. Two battalions of ITBP are deputed to National Disaster Response Force.

Contents
 1Command Control superstructure
 2Roles
 3Training centres
 4Education and Stress Counselling Services in ITBP
 5Non-military activities
 6Equipment
 7Fatalities
 8See also
 9References
 10External links

Command Control superstructure[edit]

ITBP, for the first two decades since its raising in 1962, till 1983, was headed by Inspector
Generals of Police (IGs), all drawn from the IPS. In this period (1963–83), IGs had stable
tenures, for instance B Chatterjee, IG, was head of the force from 02-06-1964 to 31-08-1974,
and R N Sheopory, as IG, was head from 03-09-1974 to 22-12-1980. In 1983, the Indira
Gandhi led Congress Government, upgraded ITBP head to Director General (DG). Since then,
there has exponentially expansion of higher ranks, accompanied by volatility in the tenures of the
head of ITBP. Instead of one IG as in 1983, ITBP now has 16 DG/IGs, and over 40 DIGs. The
average tenure of DGs is about a year plus, and in some cases barely a few weeks, for instance
B.B. Nandy, IPS, was DG (10-01-1997 to 03-04-1997), for just 28 weeks. Going by the trend of
short tenures of DGs, it would appear that the Government is not overly concerned about
command control, or in maintaining command continuity in the ITBP.[8] The post of DG was again
upgraded by the Manmohan Singh led UPA Government in 2008.[9]

Item DG IGs DIGs Remarks

Hqs 1 7 13 -

Frontier hqs - 7 - -

Sector hqs - - 15 -

Training - 1 12 -

Total[8] 1 15 40 -

ITBP CHIEFS: (1) Sh Balbir Singh, IG -02/02/1963-02/06/1964 (2) Sh B Chatarjee, IG -

02/06/1964-31/08/1974 (3) Sh R N Sheopory, DG -03/09/1974-22/12/1980 (4) Sh K Ramamurti,
DG -22/12/1980-31/01/1981 (5) Sh Shiv Raj Bahadur, DG -04/06/1981-31/12/1983 (6) Sh Shiv
Swaroop,DG -01/01/1984 (7) Sh M C Mishra,DG -19/03/1984-28/03/1985 (8) Sh O P Bhutani,DG
-28/03/1985-28/02/1987 (9) Sh J M Qureshi,DG -28/02/1987-02/03/1988 (10) Sh G S
Mander,DG -02/03/1988-08/07/1988 (11) Sh DVLN Rama Krishna,DG -08/07/1988-31/01/1992

Roles[edit]
ITBP is a multi-dimensional force which primarily has 5 functions:

1. Vigil on the northern borders, detection and prevention of border violations, and
promotion of the sense of security among the local populace.
2. Check illegal immigration and trans-border smuggling
3. Provide security to sensitive installations and threatened VIPs
4. Restore and preserve order in any area in the event of disturbance
5. to maintain the peace

Ski Contingent of the ITBP during their 53rd Raising Day Parade, 2014

Presently, battalions of ITBP are deployed on border guard duties from Karakoram
Pass in Ladakh to Diphu La in Arunachal Pradesh, covering 3,488 km of the India-China border.
Manned border posts are at altitudes as high as 21,000 feet (6,400 m) in the western, middle &
eastern sector of the border. ITBP is a mountain trained force and most of the officers & men are
professionally trained mountaineers and skiers. The force is under an expansion plan in order to
provide relief to its troops from constant deployment in high altitude areas under dynamic and
professional leadership of Subhash Goswami, IPS.

 The border posts manned by ITBP are exposed to high velocity storms, snow blizzards,
avalanches, and landslides, besides the hazards of high altitude and extreme cold, where
temperature dips up to minus 40-degree Celsius. ITBP conducts Long Range and Short
Range patrols to keep an effective vigil on inaccessible and unmanned areas on the border.
 The ITBP has recently taken on a disaster management role. Being the first responder for
natural Disaster in Himalayas, ITBP was the first to establish 06 (now 08) Regional
Response Centres in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Northeast India and carried out
numerous rescue and relief operations in various disaster situations, which took place in our
areas of responsibility as well as other parts of the country. ITBP has already trained 1032
personnel in Disaster Management including 98 personnel in Radiological and Chemical and
Biological emergencies.
 ITBP has established a National Centre for Training in Search, Rescue & Disaster response
at Bhanu, Haryana which is imparting training to personnel of ITBP and other Paramilitary /
State Police Forces. There is also a training centre for the Dogs at Basic Training centre
situated at Bhanu. The centre is known as NICD.
 ITBP Commando units provide security to the Embassy and consulates of India
in Afghanistan. Besides this two Companies of the ITBP are providing security in
Afghanistan.
 One company of ITBP is deployed in United Nation Mission in Congo since November, 2005.
A National Centre for UNCIVPOL training has been set up at ITBP Camp, Tigri, Khanpur,
Delhi for providing systematic training to Indian Police Officers for deployment in UN Mission.
 ITBP is also providing security to the pilgrims during Annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra from
1981. ITBP provides communication, security and medical cover to the yatries from Gunji to
Lipulekh Pass and back to Gunji in co-ordination with MEA and Kumaon Mandal Vikas
Nigam.
Chitkul Village, as seen from the road to the ITBP checkpost

ITBP's major training centre is located at Mussoorie, in Uttarakhand. The Training Academy has
been established in 1976, and imparts training to Officers, Subordinate officers, and promotional
course. Specialised training programmes in rock craft, explosives handling etc. are also
conducted here.Ace mountaineer and Padma Shri awardee, Harbhajan Singh, IG heads this
institution. Keeping in view the evolving security scenario of the country, ITBP has established
a Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJW) at an altitude of 6,000 feet in the heart
of extremely tough Himalayan mountains, at Mahidanda in Uttarkashi district, under dynamic
vision of the then DG of the Force Vikram Srivasatava, IPS. He provided top rated leadership to
the force. The CIJW school provides state of the art training to ITBP's men and officers to enable
them to take on the 21st century's security challenges in the form of anti Naxal Operations.
Jungle warfare, handling of explosives, rock craft, survival in adverse conditions, unarmed
combat, and guerrilla warfare are some of the subjects trained here.
The training regime, formulated under close supervision of Rajiv Mehta, IPS and executed on
ground by Sanjeev Raina, DIG is extremely demanding both mentally and physically, needing
special preparation. The presence of the force along the Indo China border, maintains vigil along
the extremely difficult high altitude border area. The troops of the force keeps a sharp eye on any
violation of the border, trans border smuggling, and affords a sense of security to the remotely
located isolated settlements. The altitude where the troops are deployed range up to 18,800 feet,
and the temperature plummets to minus 30 degrees during winter with snow fall of more than ten
feet.
The force is synonymous with adventure and dare-devilry and has undertaken numerous
mountaineering expeditions. Its skiers have been national champions, who have competed
winter Olympics. Its river rafters have created international history in rafting through the turbulent
white waters of the mighty Brahmaputra, the Indus and the Ganges. The Force has created a
milestone by becoming the first Central Para Military Force to grab up the Best Marching
Contingent Trophy in the Republic Day parades in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2011. It broke new
ground in 1998 when it sent the first ever police tableau of the country to participate in the
Republic Day Parade. ITBP is in the forefront of movement for the preservation of
Himalayan environment and ecology. ITBP has taken up in a big way the task of greening the
Himalayan regions especially in Inner Himalayas. Being the only human presence in areas close
to China border, it has taken on itself the task of maintaining the delicate balance of flora and
fauna.
ITBP being deployed in mountains has developed the expertise in rescue & relief operations in
mountains, which entail different specialised skills of very high standard. It is always first in
extending rescue & relief in case of natural calamity. ITBP conducts a large number of civic
action programmes in remote border and terrorist affected areas to provide free and expert
medical, health and hygiene care to the civilian population in remote villages.
ITBP Academy has been given the status of "Centre of Excellence" by the Government of India
and now is on the path of modernisation of its training infra- structure. As of June 2004, the
Academy has trained 3,785 GOs, 7,776 SOs and 27,476 Other Ranks from ITBP and CPOs/
State Police Forces.

Training centres[edit]
ITBP training centres develop amongst the trainees the qualities of: professional skills, esprit de
corps and leadership. They are taught the values of integrity, impartiality and respect for all
castes, creeds and religions. Maintaining the highest tradition of supreme sacrifice in the service
of motherland the Himveers are also taught to function effectively while always keeping in mind
human rights and the codes of war which always guide their conduct.
The Basic Training Centre at Bhanu, Haryana ITBP Academy at Mussourie, and the
Mountaineering & Skiing Institute at Auli run the training programmes and conduct indoor and
outdoor training activities, in pursuance of this mission.
The motto of the ITBP, Shaurya, dridata, karm nishtha (Valour, determination, devotion to
duty) has always inspired its men in accepting challenges to bring glory to the nation and honour
to the force. In the course of active duties, the force has earned a number of Civil and Service
honours, and decorations like Padma Shree – 2, Shaurya Chakra – 1, Sena Medal – 1,
President's Police Medal for Gallantry – 3, Police Medal for Gallantry – 44, President's Police
Medal for Distinguished Service – 63, Police Medal for Meritorious Service – 292 and the Prime
Minister's Life Saving Medal – 54.
ITBP has undergone a massive expansion plan to provide much needed relief to its troops who
remain deployed in the tough high altitude terrain for most part of their service. 13 units were
raised in the year 2006–07, followed by another 7 units the following year.
ITBP is building full fledge recreation and Training centre in Belgaum at
Halbhavi, Belgaum provides the best climate for recreation and ITBP will relocate the personal
and will have large family bases in Belgaum for its soldiers after high altitude stressful.