ITBP to raise 7 new battalions by 2025 to guard the LAC amid Indo-China border contention

The Indian Government has announced a bid to raise seven new battalions of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) to guard the border between India and China, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur told reporters. The ITBP’s general area of operations (AOR) stretches from the Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh’s Jachep La. Furthermore, Information Minister Anurag Thakur stated that an additional operational base will be established at the LAC to accommodate 9,400 ITBP personnel. The Operational Base will supervise the new ITBP battalions and provide logistical support, the minister added during the briefing. 

Notably, as of September 2021, the ITBP consisted of 60 battalions according to official government data. Raised as a specialized mountain force, ITBP’s primary responsibility is guarding the 3,488-km-long India-China border. Headed by the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, the paramilitary force is considered a crucial component of India's defence system, as it is tasked with ensuring the security and integrity of India's borders with China in the Himalayas.  

ITBP’s significance amid Indo-China border contention

In June 2020, tensions between India and China escalated in the Galwan Valley region along the LAC in the Ladakh sector following a violent clash between Indian Army troops of the Bihar Regiment and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in June 2020, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers. The incident was one of the deadliest clashes between the two sides in decades and led to a significant increase in military deployments and infrastructure building in the region by both sides.  

Meanwhile, the bid to raise the new battalions of ITBP comes via a proposal from the Union Cabinet with a budget of over Rs 1,800 crore. As per the bid, the induction of new battalions of the paramilitary force in addition to a sector headquarters will be completed by 2025.  

The ITBP operates in some of the most challenging and inhospitable terrain in the world, including the high-altitude regions of the Himalayas. Furthermore, ITBP personnel are trained in mountaineering and other specialized skills, which are required for operating in high-altitude areas.  

Apart from maintaining vigilance on the border, the ITBP is also involved in a range of other activities, including disaster response, law enforcement, and counter-insurgency operations. The force is often called upon to assist in rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and landslides.