{"id":29362,"date":"2024-09-12T19:41:57","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T14:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=29362"},"modified":"2024-09-12T19:41:58","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T14:11:58","slug":"border-management-and-development-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/12-09-2024\/border-management-and-development-in-india","title":{"rendered":"Border Management and Development in India"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Security<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While addressing the Border Area Development Conclave, Defence Minister said that <strong>Border area development is the best way to deal with geo-strategic challenges.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India&#8217;s geo-strategic position is such that it is exposed to different kinds of challenges and the best way to deal with them is to <strong>ensure border area development, <\/strong>as border villages are the country&#8217;s first villages and not remote areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He highlighted the <strong>objective is to transform the villages along the Northern borders,<\/strong> especially in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh, which are suffering from limited connectivity and infrastructure, into model villages.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Vibrant Village Programme<\/strong><br>&#8211; The Union government approved the Vibrant Village Programme for <strong>development of border villages as a Centrally sponsored scheme in 2023<\/strong> for the financial years 2022-23 to 2025-26.<br>&#8211; It outlines the development of the 2,967 villages in 19 districts<strong> bordering China and Nepal <\/strong>in the States of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, and Union Territory of Ladakh.<br>&#8211; The objective of VVP is <strong>comprehensive development of these villages <\/strong>to improve the quality of life of people and thereby reversing outmigration.<br>&#8211; \u00a0It is also an effort to <strong>counter China\u2019s model villages called Xiaokang<\/strong> (moderately prosperous) villages opposite Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh very close to the LAC, raising apprehensions in the security establishment.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Borders in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India currently has <strong>more than 15000 km of land borders<\/strong> and <strong>more than 7500 km of maritime borders.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It shares borders with<strong> seven countries<\/strong> including Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"5454c8\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"637\" height=\"484\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Borders-in-India-jpg.webp\" alt=\"International Land border\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-29363\" style=\"--dominant-color: #5454c8; width:521px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Borders-in-India-jpg.webp 637w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Borders-in-India-300x228.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Border Management in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Border guarding responsibility initially was with the state forces post-independence, however, the same was found inadequate to handle the challenges and threats.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Central armed police forces (CAPFs)<\/strong> were raised under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and were tasked to guard the borders under the control of the ministry.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In case of active hostilities, the Army is given the responsibility to man the borders.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"94badc\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"465\" height=\"135\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Border-Management-in-India-jpg.webp\" alt=\"Border Management in India\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-29364\" style=\"--dominant-color: #94badc; width:537px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Border-Management-in-India-jpg.webp 465w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Border-Management-in-India-300x87.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Need for Border Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India- Pakistan Border: <\/strong>The border with Pakistan has been a problematic one since India\u2019s independence.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Despite the accession of Jammu and Kashmir (J&amp;K) to India as per the Indian Independence Act of 1947, Pakistan fought four conventional wars with India namely in 1947-48, 1965, 1971 and 1999.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It has also been engaged in a proxy war as well both in the state of J&amp;K and Punjab.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The border is active in the form of LC where the Army has been deployed in addition to the BSF.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India- China Border: <\/strong>India has disputed borders with China in Ladakh, Middle Sector, and in Arunachal Pradesh. Despite many levels of talks, very little progress has been made to resolve the dispute.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India-Bangladesh Border: <\/strong>The relations between India and Bangladesh have been moving up and down based on the government in power.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The current relations with Bangladesh are good but Pakistani efforts to create a religious divide, Chinese inroads and present political situation in the country have made the peace process prone to disruption.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India-Bhutan Border: <\/strong>India is responsible for the defence of Bhutan and therefore responds to Chinese aggression even in Bhutan which happened in Doklam in 2017.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Chinese threat manifesting through Bhutan always remains which rises the need to secure this border.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India-Nepal Border: <\/strong>Due to close relations between India and Nepal, Nepalese are working in the Indian Army as soldiers and porous border management remains a challenge.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Several Chinese activities in terms of infrastructure development have come up in Southern Nepal close to Indian borders.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pakistan\u2019s ISI is also using the porous nature of this border to infiltrate militants for anti-national activities in India.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India-Myanmar Border: <\/strong>India and Myanmar share a large land boundary with the northern end bordering China and the southern end bordering Bangladesh.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The border remains porous as local communities are divided into both sides of the border.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are a large number of refugees moving into the northeastern (NE) states, primarily in Manipur.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges In Managing the Borders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Length and Diversity:<\/strong> India shares borders with multiple countries totaling thousands of kilometers.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Each of these borders has unique geographical features, ranging from mountains to rivers and plains, making effective monitoring and control challenging.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Porosity of Borders:<\/strong> Many parts of India&#8217;s borders are porous, allowing illegal crossings of people, goods, and contraband such as drugs and weapons.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The difficult terrain, along with dense forests and riverine areas, facilitate such activities, posing a significant challenge to border security forces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cross-Border Terrorism:<\/strong> India faces threats of cross-border terrorism, particularly from Pakistan-based militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These groups exploit the porous borders to infiltrate into Indian territory and carry out attacks, leading to security concerns and tensions between the two countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Transnational Crime:<\/strong> Transnational criminal activities, including smuggling of narcotics, arms, and counterfeit currency, thrive along India&#8217;s borders.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ethnic and Tribal Dynamics:<\/strong> India&#8217;s border regions are often inhabited by diverse ethnic and tribal communities with historical, cultural, and social ties across borders.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Managing these communities&#8217; aspirations, addressing their grievances, and preventing their exploitation by external forces require nuanced approaches to border management.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Dispute over Borders<\/strong>: India has unresolved border disputes with neighboring countries, most notably with China and Pakistan.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These disputes lead to occasional tensions and confrontations, necessitating constant vigilance and diplomatic efforts to maintain peace and stability along the borders.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Infrastructure Development:<\/strong> Many border areas in India lack basic infrastructure such as roads, communication networks, and border outposts, hampering the effectiveness of border management efforts.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Developing infrastructure in these remote and often inhospitable regions is crucial for enhancing surveillance capabilities and response mechanisms.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Humanitarian Concerns: <\/strong>India shares borders with countries experiencing political instability, humanitarian crises, and refugee influxes.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Managing such situations while upholding humanitarian principles and international obligations poses additional challenges for border management authorities.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Border Roads Organisation (BRO)<\/strong> has constructed over 8,500 kms of roads and more than 400 permanent bridges.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Atal Tunnel, Sela Tunnel and Shikun-La Tunnel<\/strong>, which is going to be the world\u2019s highest tunnel, will prove to be milestones in border area development.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The transmission and distribution infrastructure of <strong>north-eastern States <\/strong>is being strengthened.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ongoing efforts have not only ensured prompt military deployments in sensitive regions, but have also <strong>connected the people residing in border areas with the rest of the country.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Infrastructure development; smart borders comprising communication networks and power supply; economic development with employment generation; border area tourism and empowerment of the next generation by providing skill enhancement and education opportunities <strong>are key pillars of the vision of border area development.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/developed-border-areas-act-as-deterrence-to-adversarys-claims-army-chief\/article68631199.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>While addressing the Border Area Development Conclave, Defence Minister said that Border area development is the best way to deal with geo-strategic challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29362","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29362"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29362\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29365,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29362\/revisions\/29365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}