Home Guards

Why in news?

• More homeguards to be recruited to discourage assembly in Pune.

About Home Guards

• ‘Home Guards’ is a voluntary force, first raised in India in December 1946, to assist the police in controlling civil disturbance and communal riots.
• Subsequently, the concept of the voluntary citizen’s force was adopted by several States.
• In the wake of Chinese aggression in 1962, the Centre advised the States and Union Territories to merge their existing voluntary organization into one uniform voluntary force known as Home Guards.
• The role of Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary Force to the Police in maintenance of internal security situations, help the community in any kind of emergency such as an air-raid, fire, cyclone, earthquake, epidemic etc., help in maintenance of essential services, promote communal harmony and assist the administration in protecting weaker sections, participate in socio-economic and welfare activities and perform Civil Defence duties.
• Home Guards are of two types – rural and urban. In border States, Border Wing Home Guards (BWHG) Battalions have been raised, which serve as an auxiliary to the Border Security Force.
• The total strength of Home Guards in the country is 5,73,793 against which the raised strength is 433803. The organization is spread over in all States and Union Territories except in Kerala.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs formulates the policy in respect of role, raising, training, equipping, establishment and other important matters of Home Guards Organization.
• Expenditure on Home Guards is generally shared between Centre and State Government in the ratio 25% by the Centre and 75% by the State Government for raising, training and equipping on reimbursement basis.
• For North-Eastern States except Assam, the sharing pattern between the Centre and States in the ratio of 50:50.

Prelims Question

Q. Regarding the Home Guards Organization, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The ‘Home Guards’ is a voluntary force which serves as an auxiliary force to the Police
2. The Ministry of Home Affairs formulates policy with respect to the Home Guards
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to the Prelims Question