Rashtriya Rifles

Rashtriya Rifles
Insignia of the Rashtriya Rifles
Active1990 – present
Country India
Branch Indian Army
TypeInfantry
RoleCounter-insurgency
Size45,000[1]
HeadquartersUdhampur
Nickname(s)RR
Motto(s)Dridhta aur virta (courage and valour)
War CryBajrangbali ki jai (glory to lord Hanuman)
Anniversaries1 October
Commanders
Additional Directorate GeneralMajor General Anupam Bhagi
Insignia
InsigniaCrossed AK-47 with Ashoka Chakra
Flag

The Rashtriya Rifles (RR; transl. National rifles) is a counter-insurgency force in India, formed in 1990, to deal with internal security in the Jammu and Kashmir region.[2] They maintain public order by drawing powers from the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 (AFSPA).[3] Its personnel are provided by the Indian Army on deputation.[2]

The force operates under the Ministry of Defence. The Indian Army describes RR as their "specialist elite force to combat insurgency". The RR is headquartered at Northern Command in Udhampur and commanded by an Additional Director General of Rashtriya Rifles (ADG RR).[4]

History

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The continuous deployment of the Indian Army in domestic counter-insurgency operations, alongside the existing conventional duties at the borders, necessitated a specially structured and organized force to manage India's internal security challenges while also supporting the Indian Army during conventional conflicts.[5] In 1988, a proposal for a counter-insurgency force was presented to the Government of India.[6]

Rashtriya Rifles was raised on 1 October 1990 by the then Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General S. F. Rodrigues,[7] with Lieutenant General P. C. Mankotia serving as its first Director General of Rashtriya Rifles (DG RR). The force was composed entirely of personnel on deputation from the Indian Army.[5] It was created by reconstituting two Indian Army corps (about 75,000 troops).[8] Initially, six battalions were raised, with three deployed in Punjab and three in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the next COAS, General B. C. Joshi, the RR underwent substantial expansion, including raising a sector in Northeast India.[5]

By 1994, prior to his passing, General Joshi had expanded the force to 36 battalions through persistent advocacy with the government.[6] Eventually, all battalions were repositioned exclusively to Jammu and Kashmir, where they have since engaged in low-intensity conflicts.[5] The next COAS, General Shankar Roy Chowdhury, directed each regiment to raise two battalions for the RR.[7] The Indian Army describes RR as their "specialist elite force to combat insurgency". Their motto is dridta aur veerta, meaning determination and valour.[9]

Funding

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Until 1997, the Rashtriya Rifles was funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as internal security fell under its jurisdiction, despite the force being carved out from existing Indian Army regiments. From 1990 onwards, the MHA owed a sum of ₹950 crore to the Army for the raising and equipping of the RR. Beginning in the 1998-99 fiscal year, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) allocated separate funds for the RR under the Army's demands for grants. By the end of 2005, the force was projected to consist of 66 battalions, each with 1,150 personnel dedicated to counter-insurgency operations. The budgetary allocation for the force rose significantly, from ₹263 crore in 1998-99 to ₹1,414 crore in 2006-07.[10] Today, the RR budget is allocated separately from the Army's budget under distinct heads.[11] In 2024-25, the government of India allocated ₹10,534.50 crore as demands for grants.[12]

Organisation

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Structure

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The Rashtriya Rifles (RR) has a distinct administrative and organizational structure compared to the Indian Army. It lacks formal categorization and is often described as a paramilitary force. In terms of training and equipment, it occupies a position between a paramilitary organization and the regular army. General K. V. Krishna Rao, former Chief of the Army Staff, referred to it as "a semi-military organization". Unlike the Army, RR battalions have support services, such as the Indian Army Service Corps and Indian Army Corps of Engineers, available at the battalion level rather than the brigade level. Each battalion consists of six companies without heavy weapons, though troops are trained to operate them. Unlike regular Army units, RR units are stationed in fixed locations and operate under five sector headquarters, each led by a two-star ranking Major General: Victor Force (Kashmir Valley), Kilo Force (Kupwara and Baramulla), Delta Force (Doda), Romeo Force (Poonch and Rajouri), and Uniform Force (Udhampur).[11]

The RR was raised in 1990 as a temporary force under the provisions of Union Composite Table, Part II, allowing it to be disbanded at any time through an executive order.[7] It continues to operate as a temporary force without a permanent mandate from the Ministry of Defence. The question of granting it a permanent status has been a subject of contention between the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also questioned the rationale behind the creation of the RR, arguing that it suggests internal rebellions are a "permanent feature in India". During the Kargil War (1999), the Border Security Force (BSF) refused to serve under RR, arguing that they were of equal stature.[11]

The RR was initially headquartered at the Army's main office in New Delhi and led by the Director General of Rashtriya Rifles (DG RR), a lieutenant general in the Indian Army. In 2021, as part of restructuring aimed at reducing its scope, its headquarters was shifted to Northern Command in Udhampur and its chief was downgraded to an Additional Director General of Rashtriya Rifles (ADG RR), a major general.[13]

Personnel and activities

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The personnel in RR comes on deputation from all arms and services of Indian Army. Originally, only 25% of RR personnel were meant to be drawn from the Indian Army, with the remainder recruited from ex-servicemen and lateral inductees from other paramilitary forces.[11] RR battalions are affiliated with various regiments of the Army, with their officers and soldiers typically serving a tenure of around 30 months. Since RR units operate in places designated as "disturbed areas", they operate by the provisions of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).[14] The RR underwent significant expansion during the Bharatiya Janata Party-administration, with its strength increasing from 36 battalions in 1999 to a planned 66 battalions by 2005.[15] However, three battalions did not receive final sanction, leaving the total at 63 battalions with a strength of approximately 75,000 personnel by 2005.[16]

According to the Ministry of Defence, the RR is the "counter-insurgency/counter-terrorism arm of the Indian Army".[17] Since its inception, the RR has neutralised a total of 16,368 terrorists, including 8,522 killed, 6,737 apprehended, and 1,109 who surrendered, as of 2015.[5] General Bipin Rawat, who later became India's first Chief of Defence Staff, commanded Sector 5 of RR at Sopore during his tenure as a brigadier.[18] As of 2023, there were around 45,000 personnel and 63 battalions.[1][19]

Counter Insurgency Force

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RR units are organized under five "Counter Insurgency Force" (CIF) HQs. Each CIF is responsible for an area of the Kashmir Valley and Jammu Division.

Victor Force and Kilo Force operate under the control of the XV Corps. Delta Force, Romeo Force operate under the control of XVI Corps. Uniform Force, which earlier used to operate under the XVI Corps, was moved from the Poonch sector to the Ladakh sector (under I Corps) in 2020 to counter Chinese aggression.

Operational sectors

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The areas covered by the CIFs are further divided into sectors:

Battalions

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RR comprises 65 battalions.[20] Each battalion has over 1,100 men organized into six companies. [21] Known RR battalion affiliations include:

Crest

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The RR crest consists of the Ashoka Chakra and two crossed Kalashnikov rifles with fixed bayonets. Beneath, in a banner, is emblazoned the RR's motto: Dridhta aur Veerta (Persistence and Valour).

Awards and decorations

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As of 2017, the RR personnel has received seven Ashok Chakras, 34 Kirti Chakras, 238 Shaurya Chakras, 1637 Sena Medals and 67 Chief of Army Staff Unit Citations.[22]

In the media

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In 2017, Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Defence Staff, released his book Home of the Brave about RR, written by defence and security analyst Nitin Anant Gokhale and retired brigadier S. K. Chatterji.[23] The 2024 Tamil-language biographical film Amaran depicts the life of former Rastriya Rifles Major Mukund Varadarajan during his service in 44 RR.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Express News Service (21 February 2023). "Phased thinout of troops from Kashmir planned". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Rashtriya Rifles". GlobalSecurity.org. Archived from the original on 12 October 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  3. ^ Chakravarti, Sudeep (15 August 2019). "J&K bifurcation leaves a host of unresolved issues". Mint. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  4. ^ Gurung, Shaurya Karanbir (1 April 2019). "Army Rejig: Now ADG to head Rashtriya Rifles". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 10 August 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Silver Jubilee of Rashtriya Rifles". Business Standard. 1 October 2015. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  6. ^ a b Dasgupta, Sunil (15 April 1995). "Rashtriya Rifles, the new force becomes army's biggest expansion in recent times". India Today. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Gokhale, Nitin (19 October 2011). "Unsung and unheard, the Rashtriya Rifles plays a critical role". Rediff.com. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Paramilitary Forces and Internal Security". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  9. ^ "Combat Edge - The Rashtriya Rifles". Indianarmy.nic.in. Indian Army. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  10. ^ Economic and Political Weekly. Sameeksha Trust. March 2006. p. 1339. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d Vaishnav, Milan (27 February 2024). Institutional Roots of India's Security Policy. Oxford University Press. pp. 228–238. ISBN 978-0-19-889463-6. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  12. ^ "Notes on Demands for Grants, 2024-2025" (PDF). Indiabudget.gov.in. Government of India. 2024. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  13. ^ Philip, Snehesh Alex (6 April 2021). "Army HQ is in the middle of a makeover, and these are the changes introduced so far". The Print. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  14. ^ Sagar, Pradip R. (17 October 2022). "Rashtriya Rifles | Force reduction". India Today. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  15. ^ Adeney, Katharine; Saez, Lawrence (11 April 2007). Coalition Politics and Hindu Nationalism. Routledge. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-134-23978-8. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  16. ^ Pandit, Rajat (1 August 2005). "Army in a fix over Rashtriya Rifles battalions". The Times of India. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  17. ^ Ministry of Defence (24 February 2008). Annual Report: 2007 - 2008 (PDF). Ministry of Defence. p. 19. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  18. ^ Press Trust of India (9 December 2021). "CDS General Bipin Rawat: An outstanding, forthright military commander with vision of tri-service synergy". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  19. ^ Tiwary, Deeptiman (20 February 2023). "Govt considers phased withdrawal of Army from Kashmir hinterland". The Indian Express. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  20. ^ P361 The Military Balance, 2010, The International Institute for Strategic Studies
  21. ^ "Rashtriya Rifles".
  22. ^ "27th Raising Day Rashtriya Rifles". Pib.gov.in. 1 October 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
  23. ^ "Army Releases Book on Rashtriya Rifles". Pib.gov.in. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
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