Why in news?

• Union Home Ministry has extended Z+ Security cover of CRPF to Governor of Kerala.
• MHA took a decision on this after the Kerala Governor held a sit-in in front of a roadside shop in Kollam district after Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activists allegedly tried to hit his vehicle.

What’s in today’s article?

• Central Reserve Police Force (about, duties performed by CRPF)
• Security Category in India (about, forces responsible, types)
• News Summary

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

• About
  • CRPF is one of the oldest Central para military forces (now termed as Central Armed Police Force) and it comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • CRPF came into existence as Crown Representative’s Police IN July 1939.
    • It became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act in December 1949.
  • It is All India in character, both in deployment and in its composition.
  • CRPF has, over the years, acquired the distinction of being perhaps the most acceptable Force, by the people and the State administrations.
    • This is due to its unique capability to quickly adapt to various situations and also, to work in perfect harmony with the State Police.
• Duties performed by the CRPF
  • Crowd &Riot control
  • Counter Militancy / Insurgency operations/Dealing with Left Wing Extremism
  • Overall co-ordination of large-scale security arrangement especially with regard to elections in disturbed areas.
  • Protection of VIPs and vital installations.
  • Checking environmental de-gradation and protection of local Flora and Fauna
  • Fighting aggression during War time
  • Participating in UN Peace Keeping Mission
  • Rescue and Relief operations at the time of Natural Calamities.

Security Category in India

• In India, security is provided to high-risk individuals by the police and local government.
• Ministers get Central Security cover due to their position in the government.
  • On the other hand, a call on such security to private individuals is taken by the Home Ministry based on inputs from intelligence agencies.
• However, since these agencies do not report to any statutory body, VIP security has sometimes been alleged to be a political decision.

Security forces responsible for VIP protection

• Typically, the agencies responsible for providing securities to VVIPs/VIPs /high-profile celebrities include:
  • Special Protection Group (SPG), National Security Guards (NSG), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).

Different types of security cover

News Summary: Union Home Ministry extends Z+ security to Kerala Governor

• Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has been given Z+ security by Centre after a faceoff with student activists.
• Earlier, Governor Khan confronted members of the CPI(M)-linked SFI in Kollam district as they staged a black flag protest against him.
• The Governor's actions led to a two-hour standoff, during which he sat on the roadside, expressing his dissatisfaction with the response of the authorities.
• The Governor has accused Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of "promoting lawlessness in the state" and demanded action against the protestors.