Special Protection Group

GS-III: Special Protection Group

Context

The government is likely to withdraw the Special Protection Group (SPG) from a former Prime Minister’s security detail.

Special Protection Group

The SPG was set up in 1985 after the assassination of PM Indira Gandhi, and Parliament passed the SPG Act in 1988 dedicating the group to protecting the Prime Ministers of India.
At the time, the Act did not include former Prime Ministers, and when V.P. Singh came to power in 1989 his government withdrew SPG protection to the outgoing PM Rajiv Gandhi.
After Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 the SPG Act was amended, offering SPG protection to all former Prime Ministers and their families for a period of at least 10 years.
The SPG cover would only be reduced on the basis of threat levels as defined in the SPG Act of 1988.

What is it?

It is an armed force of the Union for providing proximate security to the following Prime Minister (PM) of India.
Former PM of India and
Members of their immediate families wherever they are.

Type:

It was formed in 1985 after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as an executive body on the recommendation of the Birbal Nath committee. Later on it became a statutory body under Special Protection Group Act, 1988.

Governance:

It is governed by the Cabinet secretariat of India.
SPG chief is an officer of the rank of inspector-general.

Tenure of security cover to former PM:

SPG Security is provided to the former PM and the members of his immediate family for a period of one year from the date on which the former PM ceased to hold office and beyond one year based on the level of threat as decided by the Central Government. However, their security to them can be extended in case the threat is of the grave and continuing nature.

Source: The Hindu

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