National think tank to work on India’s safety

Union home minister Rajnath Singh announced on Friday he had directed home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi to formulate a national think tank that would work towards ensuring India’s safety. Speaking at a function of the Border Security Force, the home minister also directed the BSF to remain more alert and vigilant along the Indo-Bangla border specially to prevent cow smuggling.

The home minister said a plan has been prepared in order to ensure that country’s land borders are absolutely foolproof and totally safe by deploying smart technological solutions like laser walls and surveillance gadgets to keep security at the frontiers fit and fine at all the times.

While speaking on the theme “Border Management in Changing Scenario”, organised by the BSF here, Mr Singh said security forces will have to be alert and alive to evolving changing security challenges with the aim of ensuring India’s economic security and prosperity. Some elements have cast their evil eye and perpetrated ‘naapak’ (unholy) activities against the country, including some neighbours. There are some deficiencies in our border management but we are trying to make the scenario more alert and secure,’’ he added.

The home minister, while congratulating the BSF for bringing down the numbers of cow smuggling down from 23 lakh to 3-3.5 lakh, said that cow smuggling has been taking place for many years now and that the jawans and officers of the BSF will have be more alert and vigilant to stop this.

He added that apart from these measures, it was essential to get the support of state governments on this issue and his ministry has written to them on the subject.

“The incidents of infiltration have come down by about 50 per cent and a big number of terrorists have been killed. I give the credit for this to the bravery of our security personnel,” he said.

While talking about India’s economy, Mr Singh said his government is “determined” to make it grow up to the level of “double digits”.

“We are proud of the respect that India commands across the globe. World ranking agencies have called India the fastest growing economy,” he added.

The Home Minister asked the security agencies to remain cautious against the nefarious “proxy war” being conducted against them and the country by using information technology tools. Mr Singh said some time ago a committee was constituted to analyse the ground situation and suggest measures to fortify Indian borders, even as he asked BSF, the largest border guarding force of the country, to ensure that the men on ground are put to training “regularly” and that they do not suffer stress.

“As soon as the committee headed by former Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta submits report to us, we will take its cognisance,” he added. He added that an amount of Rs 635 crore has been earmarked by the government for creating as many as 13 new Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at various land borders.