This initiative is crucial given the ongoing tensions between the Indian Army and PLA in Ladakh since June 2020. The border area, which lacks a clear demarcation, often leads to differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by both sides, resulting in PLA incursions into disputed territories
According to the recent 2022-23 annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) conducted around 2,899 patrols along the China border between the month of April and December in 2022.
To enhance the security along the India-China border, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will be deploying additional intelligence teams at its border posts from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. This strategic move, approved by the central government, involves the establishment of Border Intelligence Posts (BIPs) to improve surveillance and intelligence gathering due to increased Chinese activities along the border and frequent transgressions by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Each BIP will have a staff of four to five Intelligence Bureau officials, supported by ITBP personnel, with the primary responsibility of monitoring border activities and providing real-time updates to higher authorities. Details about the project’s funding are undisclosed due to its sensitive nature.
This initiative is especially crucial given the ongoing tensions between the Indian Army and PLA in Ladakh since June 2020. The border area, which lacks a clear demarcation, often leads to differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by both sides, resulting in PLA incursions into disputed territories. For instance, in June 2020, a clash in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley resulted in the loss of twenty Indian Army soldiers. Additionally, in December of the same year, PLA troops intruded into Yangste in Arunachal Pradesh, leading to a skirmish with Indian soldiers and casualties on both sides.
The BIPs will station intelligence personnel who will collaborate with the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and agencies such as the National Technical Research Organisation, Intelligence Bureau, and Research and Analysis Wing. Their primary role will be to collect and analyse information related to any unusual activities by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasised the importance of border security during a function, highlighting that a country’s safety is closely linked to secure borders. He noted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, efforts have been made to improve infrastructure along the LAC, including extending connectivity to previously neglected border villages.
