Who are border wing home guards the Union Home Ministry wants on China border?

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is working on a proposal to raise Border Wing Home Guards (BWHGs) along the Indo-China border, similar to the auxiliary units already in place on the India–Pakistan frontier.

The Border Wing Home Guards are volunteer-based forces recruited from people of all walks of life, who dedicate their spare time to serve the community and the nation. They are governed by the Home Guards Act and the Rules of States and Union Territories.

Currently, seven States are authorised to have BWHGs — Meghalaya, Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Gujarat — but Rajasthan is the only one that actually maintains them today.

Members of the force are enlisted for three to four years and take on responsibilities similar to those of a constable. Their training and operational costs are partly funded by the Centre, which bears 25% of the expenditure, with the remaining share met by the States.

The Home Guards act as an auxiliary to the Army and police, guarding vital installations and vulnerable areas during hostilities on the international border. They also assist in maintaining internal security, essential services, and disaster response during emergencies such as cyclones, earthquakes, epidemics, and fires. Additionally, they play a role in promoting communal harmony and protecting weaker sections of society.

If the MHA’s plan goes through, the deployment of BWHGs along the Indo-China frontier could provide much-needed additional support to border forces in sensitive regions.