Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019

 

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topics covered:

• About the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019
• About Special Protection Group and their categories

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News Flash

The Lok Sabha passed the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019. The Bill amends the Special Protections Group Act, 1988.

The Act provides for the constitution and regulation of the Special Protection Group (SPG) to provide security to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers, and their immediate family members.

 

Key Highlights

• According to the amendment, the SPG will now protect the prime minister and members of his immediate family residing with him at his official residence.
• Under the Act of 1988, SPG provides security to former PMs and their immediate family members for a period of one year from the date on which they cease to hold the office. Beyond this period, SPG security is provided based on the level of threat as decided by the central government. The threat must: (i) emanate from a military or terrorist organisation, and (ii) be of a grave and continuing nature.
• The bill amends this provision, now, SPG provides security to former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members for a period of five years from the date on which they cease to hold the office.
• The 1988 Act, provides that if the SPG security is withdrawn from a former Prime Minister, it will also be withdrawn from his immediate family members unless the level of threat faced by the immediate family member warrants such security. The Bill removes this condition to state that if the SPG security is withdrawn from a former Prime Minister, it will also be withdrawn from his immediate family members.

 

Special Protection Group

• It was formed in 1988 by an act of the Parliament of India.
• The Indian Special Protection Group (SPG) is a special force for providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and former Prime Ministers of India and members of their immediate families wherever in the world they are.”
• Earlier, it used to provide security to former prime ministers as well but now Z+ security cover has been given to them.

 

Security categories in India

1. SPG category – Strength of security detail is Classified (only provided to the Prime Minister of India.)
2. Z+ category has a security cover of 55 personnel [Including 10+ NSG Commando] + [Police Personnel]
3. Z category has a security cover of 22 personnel [Including 4 or 5 NSG Commando] + [Police Personnel]
4. Y category has a security cover of 11 personnel [Including 1 or 2 Commando] + [Police Personnel]
5. X category has a security cover of 2 personnel [No Commando, Only Armed Police Personnel]

 

The Z+ level of security is provided by the National Security Guard commandos. They are armed with Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine guns and modern communication equipment, and each member of the team is adept in martial arts and unarmed combat skills.

 

The ‘Z’ category entails security cover by the Delhi police or the ITBP or CRPF personnel and one escort car. The ‘Y’ category encompasses two personal security officers (PSOs) and the ‘X’ category, one PSO.

 

Source: News on Air

 

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