UPSC Prelims 2023 Q91: Home Guards — Legal Basis, Role, Border Wing
With reference to Home Guards, consider the following statements:
1. Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and Rules of the Central Government.
2. The role of the Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary force to the police in maintenance of internal security.
3. To prevent infiltration on the international border/coastal areas, the Border Wing Home Guards Battalions have been raised in some States.
How many of the above statements are correct?
- Only one
- Only two
- All three
- None
Answer: (b) Only two
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: incorrect — No central Home Guards Act exists. Home Guards are raised under each State's or Union Territory's own Home Guards Act and Rules, such as the Bombay Home Guards Act, 1947, the Punjab Home Guards Rules, 1963 and the U.P. Home Guards Adhiniyam, 1963. 'Police' and 'public order' are State List subjects, so the States raise and control the force. The Ministry of Home Affairs only lays down the broad pattern and policy and shares some of the cost.
- 2: correct — The Ministry of Home Affairs describes the role of Home Guards as serving as an auxiliary force to the police in the maintenance of internal security. They also help the community in emergencies such as air raids, fires, cyclones, earthquakes and epidemics. They help keep essential services running, promote communal harmony and help the administration protect weaker sections.
- 3: correct — Border Wing Home Guards (BWHG) battalions were raised in border States after the Home Guards were reorganised following the 1962 war with China. According to the MHA, 15 BWHG battalions exist: Punjab (6), Rajasthan (4), Gujarat (2), and one each in Meghalaya, Tripura and West Bengal. They serve as an auxiliary to the Border Security Force (BSF) to prevent infiltration on the international border and in coastal areas.
How to eliminate
Statement 1 can be tested with basic polity. 'Police' and 'public order' are in the State List (Seventh Schedule, List II, Entries 1 and 2). A volunteer force that helps the State police is therefore far more likely to be raised under State law than under a central Act. Treat the phrase 'of the Central Government' as the trap. Statement 2 is the textbook definition of Home Guards and is safe to accept. Statement 3 is a precise, factual-sounding claim with the hedge 'in some States'. UPSC rarely invents a named body such as 'Border Wing Home Guards Battalions', and the hedge makes the statement hard to falsify. If you reject 1 and accept 2 and 3, you get exactly two correct statements. The fact to remember: Home Guards are a State/UT voluntary force under State/UT Acts and Rules, and the MHA only sets the policy.
Know more
Home Guards are a voluntary force that works alongside the police. The first unit was raised in December 1946 in the then Bombay Presidency during civil disturbances and communal riots. The idea spread to other provinces. After the 1962 Chinese aggression, the Centre advised all States to merge their volunteer bodies into one organisation called the Home Guards. That is also when the Border Wing was created. 6 December is observed as Home Guards and Civil Defence Raising Day.
Who controls them
- Each State/UT raises the force under its own Home Guards Act and Rules.
- The Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards under the MHA frames the policy, strength norms and training pattern. The Centre also reimburses part of the cost.
- Home Guards exist in all States and UTs except Kerala.
- Members are ordinary citizens who serve part-time and are paid a duty allowance when called out. They are not regular, salaried police.
| Body | Legal basis | Control | Main role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home Guards | State/UT Home Guards Acts and Rules | State/UT govt (policy: MHA) | Auxiliary to police; emergency help |
| Border Wing Home Guards | Same State laws | Border States | Auxiliary to BSF against infiltration |
| Civil Defence | Civil Defence Act, 1968 (central) | Centre and States | Protect people and property in hostile attack or disaster |
| CAPFs (BSF, CRPF, etc.) | Separate central Acts | MHA | Border guarding and internal security |
Exam trap: Civil Defence is governed by a central Act (1968), but Home Guards are governed by State laws. UPSC tests this difference by swapping 'Central' and 'State'.