Srinagar, Oct 24 — Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday extended greetings to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on the 65th Raising Day, saluting its personnel for their courage, dedication and service to the nation.
Sinha conveyed his warm wishes to all ranks of ITBP personnel and their families on the occasion.
“On ITBP Raising Day, my greetings to all ranks of @ITBP_official personnel and their families. The ITBP's steadfast vigil along formidable borders exemplifies unmatched courage, valour and excellence in the line of duty. I salute your dedication and selfless service to the motherland,” the Lieutenant Governor said in a post on X.
He said the nation was proud of the force for its commitment to protecting the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, particularly while operating in challenging terrains and extreme weather conditions.
The ITBP is a Central Armed Police Force under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and is primarily responsible for guarding India's border with Tibet.
Established on October 24, 1962, in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War, the force has played a key role in securing India's Himalayan frontiers. Its personnel carry out border surveillance and other security duties in some of the country's most difficult geographical and climatic conditions.
It was raised under the CRPF Act primarily to create a resistance force from among the civilian population against foreign encroachments and infiltration.
It had a strength of 4 battalions and was deployed in Himachal Pradesh and the areas of present-day Uttarakhand. It collected intelligence and worked on improving Indian communication systems along the Chinese border.
ITBP is said to have taken part in the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War as well as the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971.
In 1975, the charter of ITBP was changed, and it was made responsible for the management of India's northern borders to guard against illegal movements across borders and the exploitation of borders by criminals.
In 1978, the force was reorganised with nine service battalions, four specialist battalions and two training centres. The raising officer of the ITBP was Lt Col. Nasib Singh of the Indian Army.
ITBP provided security services for the 1982 Asian Games as well as the 7th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement and the 1983 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
In 1987, 6 more battalions of ITBP were raised to stop bank robberies in the state of Punjab in the final stages of the insurgency in Punjab.
From 1989 to 2004, the ITBP also had a minor presence in Jammu and Kashmir to combat the insurgency in Kashmir.
In 1992, an ITBP Act was passed by the Parliament, making ITBP responsible for guarding the entire Indo-Tibetan border, 3,488 km long, from the Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jarep La in Arunachal Pradesh.
The rules of the ITBP Act were framed in 1994. In 2004, ITBP replaced the Assam Rifles in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. It previously worked in cooperation with the Assam Rifles for patrolling the border.
This decision was made on the basis of recommendations made by a committee set up in the aftermath of the 1999 Kargil War under the principle of "One Border, One Force".