Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today attended the Border Security Force (BSF) Investiture Ceremony and Rustamji Memorial Lecture as the Chief Guest in New Delhi. Several dignitaries including the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, Secretary (Border Management), and the Director General of the BSF attended the event.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Amit Shah said that the investiture ceremony symbolizes the BSF’s unwavering dedication, commitment to duty, and complete devotion to the nation. He said that after the 1965 war, a detailed assessment of the shortcomings in border security led to the realization that a dedicated force was needed to secure India’s borders even during peacetime.
At that time under the leadership of Padma Vibhushan K.F. Rustamji, the BSF was established and has since ensured the security of the country’s borders. He said that the strong foundation laid by Shri Rustamji has enabled the BSF to build aninstitution in the field of national security, bringing pride to the nation.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Amit Shah said that the investiture ceremony symbolizes the BSF’s unwavering dedication, commitment to duty, and complete devotion to the nation. He said that after the 1965 war, a detailed assessment of the shortcomings in border security led to the realization that a dedicated force was needed to secure India’s borders even during peacetime.
At that time under the leadership of Padma Vibhushan K.F. Rustam, the BSF was established and has since ensured the security of the country’s borders. He said that the strong foundation laid by Shri Rustamji has enabled the BSF to build an institution in the field of national security, bringing pride to the nation.
Shri Amit Shah said that today, several new challenges have emerged in the field of border security. Illegal infiltration, narcotics smuggling, cattle smuggling, counterfeit currency, organized crime, and the smuggling of weapons and narcotics through drones are among the many challenges facing the BSF.
However, the BSF has consistently made well-planned efforts to tackle these challenges. Shri Shah said that the BSF has safeguarded the nation by making the best possible use of its resources and effectively confronting all these challenges. He added that in the coming days, the role of the force will have to become even more coordinated and comprehensive.
Shri Amit Shah said that border security can no longer rely solely on traditional methods. Strengthening the security grid will require close coordination among State Police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), other armed forces, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), intelligence agencies, and state administrations.
He said that border security should no longer be viewed as an isolated responsibility but as a broader territorial responsibility. Shri Shah also stressed the need to remain vigilant against demographic changes caused by cross-border infiltration and against attempts to weaken the country’s economy through narcotics and fake currency.
He said that India must adopt new strategies to address cyber threats, hybrid warfare, and drone-based challenges. Union Home Minister said that the Border Security Force remains steadfast in some of the country’s most challenging terrains, including the icy mountains of Siachen and Kashmir, difficult regions such as Kupwara, Keran, and Uri, the deserts of Rajasthan, the Rann of Kutch, the marshy creeks of Sir Creek, the dense forests of the Sundarbans, the difficult eastern borders of Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, and the sensitive riverine areas connected to the Brahmaputra.
He said that this is why the BSF, which began in 1965 with only 25 battalions and limited resources, has today grown into the world’s largest border guarding force with strength of 2.70 lakh personnel. Shri Amit Shah said that since 2014, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, India’s defence and border security policies have undergone a transformational change.
Referring to incidents such as Uri, Pulwama, and Pahalgam, he said that India responded decisively through surgical strikes, air strikes, and Operation Sindoor by targeting terror infrastructure inside Pakistan. He said that the era of responding to terror attacks with negotiations is over, and that India has strengthened its security framework in line with the spirit of the Constitution.
He described this as a new defence doctrine in which the BSF has played a major role. Shri Amit Shah further said that the Government of India and the Ministry of Home Affairs will provide technological support to transform the country’s border into a 'smart border'.
He said that work is progressing towards creating an impregnable border security grid within the next year by integrating all kinds of technologies under the Smart Border concept. The Ministry of Home Affairs will soon introduce a Smart Border Project equipped with drones, radars, modern cameras, and other advanced technologies.
The Home Minister said that once this initiative begins, the work of the Border Security Force will become significantly easier and stronger. Shri Amit Shah said that in the 60th year of the Border Security Force’s establishment, the government will launch the Smart Border Project and make the entire borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan impenetrable, thereby providing the BSF with significant technological support.
He said that along with courage, valour, dedication, and patriotism, the force will also be equipped with strong technological backing, which will further enhance the security of both borders. Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the Government of India has resolved not only to stop infiltration, but also to identify and expel every single infiltrator from the country, and will not allow unnatural demographic change.
He said that the BSF must prevent conspiracies aimed at altering demographics through infiltration. He said that governments in Tripura, Assam, and West Bengal now follow policies that clearly oppose illegal infiltration. Shri Shah said that it is the responsibility of the BSF not only to secure the borders but also to maintain close coordination with village-level officials, police stations, district collectors, DDOs, and superintendents of police.
He said that detailed information must be gathered about new infiltrators, their routes of entry, and the networks involved in smuggling, including cattle smuggling, and that all such routes must be systematically identified and shut down. He said that the available information should be used to build a structured system for preventing and removing infiltrators.
Union Home Minister said that the time has come to decisively stop infiltration that has continued unchecked for years. Shri Amit Shah also said that due to the Government’s determined efforts, the five-decade-old problem of Naxalismhas now been effectively eliminated from India.
He said that security policy should not merely aim to contain problems, but to eradicate them completely. He urged the BSF to adopt the same determined approach in tackling infiltration. Shri Amit Shah said that Vibrant Villages-1 and Vibrant Villages-2 are development programmes being implemented in a democratic manner with the cooperation of the Border Security Force.
He also mentioned that the BSF’s jurisdiction has been extended from 15 kilometres to 50 kilometres and that decisions related to land allocation in West Bengal have also been finalized. Shri Amit Shah said that PM Shri Narendra Modi has announced the High-Powered Demography Mission, and work on it will begin soon after its committee is constituted.
He said that in the coming days, a strong security grid will have to be established along the borders of both countries, for which a major campaign will also need to be launched. Shri Amit Shah said that the 60th year of the BSF is also a year dedicated to building a Smart Border and ensuring the welfare of BSF personnel.
Shri Shah said that within the next two months, the Shri Narendra Modi government will introduce a major programme for the welfare of BSF personnel and all CAPF jawans. Union Home Minister said that the government is going to launch a major nationwide campaign against narcotics, in which the Border Security Force will also play a very important role.
He praised the force’s vigilance in gathering intelligence from both sides of the border to combat drug trafficking. He said that the next three to four years will bring transformative changes in border security. While technology will strengthen capabilities, he stressed that it will also increase responsibilities.
Home Minister urged BSF personnel to embrace technology, build stronger ties with local communities, and improve coordination with local administrations to achieve the goal of making India infiltration-free.