Tense face-offs with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continue along the Line of Actual Control in Arunachal Pradesh, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor has said. Border strategy has undergone major changes since the 2020 Galwan incident, and the ITBP has fielded a special force, the “Shaurya Commandos”, to respond swiftly to Chinese transgressions.
The commandos receive rigorous physical and tactical training for operations in the Himalayas, where temperatures fall below freezing and oxygen levels are low at high altitude. When hostile forces attempt to infiltrate or obstruct patrols, they serve as the first line of defence, protecting territory without escalating to a war-like situation.
Every ITBP border battalion currently has one Shaurya Commando team deployed. The force plans to convert them in future into a separate, dedicated Shaurya Commandos Battalion.
The ITBP is also moving rapidly towards technology, having recognised that modern warfare cannot be fought on numbers alone. Of a Rs 400 crore modernisation fund, 70 per cent has been earmarked for drones, anti-drone systems and specialised training.
Each border battalion now has an integrated drone platoon, and personnel are being trained as certified drone pilots. Real-time intelligence from drones, combined with the commandos’ capabilities on the ground, is strengthening security along India’s borders.