The National Security Guard (NSG) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is the nodal National Counter-Terror Force for the Government of India.

It was founded on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue Star, to combat terrorist activities and protect states against internal disturbances.https://www.mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-01/NSGRules1987_0%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.pdf NSG Rules based on the provisions of the act

The formation of the NSG was formalised in the Parliament of India under the National Security Guard Act, 1986. Personnel in the National Security Guard are drawn on deputation from the Indian Army and various Central Armed Police Forces

History R.N. Kao, former Secretary of the R&AW created the National Security Guard (NSG), during the Punjab militancy during the 1980s, to address the needs of the Government of India to counteract terrorism within the country.

The NSG was established in the wake of 1984 Operation Blue Star, and the high collateral damage to Golden Temple, along with civilian and military casualties. Since its founding, the NSG has been deployed in Punjab in 1986 and Jammu and Kashmir. On 29–30 April 1986, about 300 NSG commandos and 700 Border Security Force troops stormed the Golden Temple in Operation Black Thunder I. The temple was cleared and handed over to the Punjab Police on 1 May 1986; around 300 Khalistani militants were captured and there were no deaths or injuries on either side.India Deliverance, Time, 1986-05-12

In January 1988, the NSG conducted Operation Black Hawk, a heliborne operation in the Mand area of Punjab. During the operation, two terrorists were killed and one 7.62 mm rifle was recovered. According to former NSG Director-General Ved Marwah, it was a massive operation, although it did not achieve results as spectacular as those of Black Thunder.

On 12 May 1988, around 1,000 NSG commandos surrounded the Golden Temple for another assault as part of Operation Black Thunder II. Sniper teams armed with Heckler & Koch PSG-1 rifles with night scopes took up positions, including atop a 300-foot water tower. Commandos from the 51 SAG were divided into assault squadrons, while the SRG sealed off the area around the temple and provided tactical support. During the three-day operation between 15 and 18 May 1988, the NSG cleared the temple; 40 terrorists were killed and around 200 surrendered. In the mid-1990s, an NSG battalion was again deployed in Punjab to confront Khalistani militants, and during this period they also began training the Punjab Police in counter-terrorism operations.

From 5 September to 15 January 1988, the NSG was involved in guarding a high-risk terrorist code-named "Jack". On 4 August 1989, the force conducted Operation Mouse Trap in the Tarn Taran district of Punjab in conjunction with Punjab Police and other security forces. The operation demonstrated that area dominance at night could be achieved if the strategy and tactics were appropriate; Ved Marwah referred to this as Operation Night Dominance. On 10 November 1990, an NSG task force flew to Kolkata to rescue hostages of a Thai Airbus hijacked by Burmese students.

On 25–26 January 1991, the NSG conducted Operation Ani Ben during counter-insurgency tasks in Baroda, Gujarat, where Punjab terrorists were holed up inside a house. Two terrorists were killed and two AK-47 rifles were recovered. Between 1 July and 20 September 1991, the NSG was employed along with the SIT in search-and-strike missions following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi. From 25 November to 16 December 1992, about 150 commandos were deployed at Ayodhya during the Ram Janmabhoomi–Babri Masjid crisis.

On 27 March 1993, 52 SAG was mobilised and moved to Adampur to rescue hostages of Indian Airlines Flight IC 486. On 24–25 April 1993, NSG commandos stormed a hijacked Indian Airlines Boeing 737 carrying 141 passengers at Amritsar airport during Operation Ashwamedh. Two hijackers, including their leader Mohammed Yousuf Shah, were killed and another was disarmed before any hostages were harmed.

In October 1998, following a decision by the Union Home Ministry to conduct proactive strikes against militants, commando teams supported by IAF Mi-25/35 helicopter gunships began operations against militant groups deep inside the mountains and forests of Kashmir. After helicopter reconnaissance to locate the militants, commandos comprising NSG and Rashtriya Rifles personnel were para-dropped into the area along with supplies to hunt them. They relied on these supplies and their ability to live off the land until replenishment every fortnight or so; these missions are possibly ongoing.

On 15 July 1999, NSG commandos ended a 30-hour standoff in Jammu and Kashmir by killing two terrorists and rescuing all 12 hostages unharmed. The terrorists had earlier attacked a BSF campus near Srinagar, killing three officers and the wife of another, and had kept the hostages locked in a room. On 21 August 1999, after interrogation of three captured terrorists, the Delhi Police Crime Branch confirmed that two more militants were hiding in a single-storey house in Rudrapur, Uttar Pradesh. As they were considered armed and dangerous, the Delhi Police sought assistance from the NSG. A 16-member team arrived at the house at 4:45 a.m. and began the assault at 5:30 a.m., before first light. The first militant attempted to fire at the commandos with a pistol kept by his bedside but was killed instantly. The second terrorist was shot before he could fire and died about 40 minutes later; no NSG personnel were injured.

In December 1999, terrorists hijacked Indian Airlines flight IC814 from Nepal and forced it to land in Amritsar, Punjab. The Crisis Management Group (CMG), which authorised the use of the NSG, was informed within minutes of the landing, but delays meant that the aircraft departed before the NSG could intervene. The aircraft eventually landed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, where one hostage was killed. The Indian government later agreed to the hijackers' demands to release three jailed terrorists, after which the hostages were freed and the hijackers escaped to Pakistan.

In February 2000, following the IC 814 incident, the Indian government decided to implement an air-marshalling programme in which at least two NSG operators would be present on selected flight routes. These operators would carry weapons firing lethal but low-velocity fragmentation rounds designed to minimise risk to passengers and prevent penetration of the aircraft fuselage. Another measure was the permanent deployment of NSG teams at eight sensitive airports across the country, particularly those near Pakistan and in the North East, to reduce response times in case of hijacking. It is unclear whether the plan was fully implemented.

In September 2002, SAG commandos flew to Karnataka to capture forest brigand and sandalwood smuggler Veerappan following the kidnapping of former state minister Nagappa. They withdrew after determining that the intelligence available for the operation was inadequate, though a small team remained behind to assist. The hostage was eventually killed in December 2002.

In October 2002, two terrorists attacked the Akshardham temple complex in Gujarat. NSG commandos were flown in, though their deployment was delayed by traffic in Delhi. During the assault operations, one commando was killed and another was seriously injured; the latter later died after spending 18 months in a coma. By the following morning, the terrorists had been neutralised and the operation was successfully completed.

In December 2002, terrorists attacked the Raghunath temple in Jammu. Although the NSG was prepared to be deployed to the site, the unit was recalled at the last minute.

During the 2008 Mumbai attacks, the NSG conducted Operation Black Tornado and Operation Cyclone to flush out terrorists and rescue hostages following coordinated attacks across Mumbai, India. Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan and Havaldar Gajender Singh Bisht of the NSG's 51 Special Action Group were killed in action during the operations. More than 900 rooms were searched, eight terrorists were killed, and over 600 hostages were rescued during the operation.

Following the 2013 Hyderabad blasts, the NSG was deployed in Hyderabad to assist security forces and carry out investigations. The force was also deployed in Bangalore after the 2013 Bangalore Bomb Blast occurred in the city. After the 2013 Patna bombings, an NSG team sent to Patna for post-blast analysis reported that at least three additional Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were defused.

During the 2016 Pathankot attack, NSG commandos participated in operations to neutralise the terrorists. Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan Kumar of the NSG was killed while attempting to defuse a grenade or IED booby-trapped on the body of a dead terrorist, and 12 other members of the unit were injured. In the joint operation conducted by the NSG, Defence Security Corps, and the Garud Commando Force, six terrorists were neutralised.

In May 2023, a team of NSG commandos was deployed in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, along with a team of MARCOS commandos to provide security for delegates attending the third G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre on the banks of Dal Lake in Srinagar from 22 to 24 May.

Organisation

The organization benchmarked its structure against elite units such as the British Special Air Service and Germany's GSG 9.

Mehram Nagar, Palam, serves as the administrative headquarters for the NSG. The headquarters is overseen by the Director-General of the NSG, who is assisted in administrative matters by four Indian Police Service officers, out of whom two are Inspectors General at the Administrative Headquarters. In turn, they are assisted by the Deputy Inspectors General of the NSG. The Financial Advisor of the NSG is generally an officer with the rank of Joint Secretary belonging to the Central Accounts Services and is assisted by two Deputy Financial Advisors belonging of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service and the Indian Civil Accounts Service respectively. A small unit of the NSG is present near Palam Nagar.

Manesar is the operational headquarters of the NSG. An Indian Army Major general who is deputed to NSG Manesar headquarters is designated as the Inspector General of NSG's operations. The Inspector General is responsible for planning and conducting operations. Training is overseen by the Inspector General of Training, also a major general on deputation from the army. Both of them are further assisted by the Deputy Inspector General of Operations and the Deputy Inspector General of Training respectively. The combat arms of the NSG consist of two Special Action Groups and three Special Ranger Groups stationed at its Manesar headquarters, five Special Composite Groups posted at each of its five regional hubs as well as the National Bomb Data Centre and the Electronic Support Centre also based at its operational headquarters in Manesar.

Personnel The NSG consists entirely of volunteers on deputation from the Central Armed Police Forces, or the State Police departments and the Indian Army. NSG commandos are sent back to their parent department after serving with the force for a certain period. The Director General of the National Security Guard is an officer who is appointed from the Indian Police Service. Since 2012, women at the Central Armed Police Forces have been serving in the NSG.

Ranks Officers

Personnel

Selection and training