- Home
- Defence News
- Defence Appointments
- Defence Manufacturing
- Ministry of Defence
New Delhi: Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan has called upon the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) to revive its original role of working closely with communities living along India’s borders, emphasising that strong engagement of locals can play an important role in strengthening the force’s intelligence network and overall border security.
Speaking during a review of the SSB’s functioning, Mohan stressed the importance of maintaining close contact with people living in border areas. He underlined that local communities can serve as an important source of information and support for security forces operating along sensitive and largely open international borders.
The SSB is responsible for guarding India’s 1,751-kilometre border with Nepal and nearly 700-kilometre border with Bhutan. Unlike heavily fenced borders, these stretches present unique challenges because of their open nature, close cultural and economic links between communities on both sides, and the movement of people across the frontier.
Follow Defence Watch on LinkedIN
The Home Secretary’s emphasis on community engagement highlights a broader shift towards intelligence-led and people-centric border management, where technology and surveillance are complemented by information gathered through strong relationships with local populations.
The approach is also consistent with the SSB’s traditional mandate. Originally established as the Special Service Bureau, the organisation was tasked with working with border populations and strengthening their participation in national security.
The renewed focus on its original community-based role comes as India continues to strengthen its border security architecture through a combination of technology, intelligence sharing, inter-agency coordination and greater participation of people living in frontier areas.
The message is clear: securing a border is not only about watching the frontier—it's also about building trust with the people living beside it.
(Defence Watch– India’s Defence News centre that places the spotlight on Defence Manufacturing, Defence Technology, Strategy and Military affairs is on Twitter. Follow us here and stay updated.)
