Smart Border Project

Union minister announces the launch of the Smart Border Project to make India’s borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan impenetrable. The project provides for a technology-driven national security initiative to curb infiltration, smuggling, and illegal demographic changes.

Smart Border Project:

Dimension	Key Details
Type	Provides for a technology-driven national security initiative.
Border coverage	Applies to India’s borders with Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Objective	Provides for an impregnable border security grid to curb infiltration, smuggling, and illegal demographic changes.
Nodal ministry	Governed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Technology deployment	Comprises drones, radars, modern cameras, watchtowers, and smart fencing.
BSF jurisdiction	BSF jurisdiction has been expanded from 15 km to 50 km inside Indian territory.
Vulnerable stretches prioritised	Comprises Sir Creek, Harami Nala, Tripura, West Bengal, and Bihar.
Quadrangular security grid	Comprises four pillars: public participation, civil administration, local police, and military & BSF.
Territorial security vision	Provides for a shift from a force-centric border guarding model to a broader territorial security vision linking border security with economic security, social stability, and national resilience.
Border Security Force (BSF)	BSF is established in 1965 with 25 battalions, and it comprises nearly 2.7 lakh personnel as the world’s largest border guarding force.