Chhattisgarh

• 22 Mar 2025

30 Maoists killed in Bastar

Why in News? 

Security forces killed 30 alleged Maoists in two operations in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region. 

 Key Points 

• About the Encounter: 
  • Security forces launched a joint combing operation in the Gangaloor police station area. 
  • After the firing ceased, security personnel recovered 26 Maoist bodies along with a large cache of arms and ammunition. 
  • A separate gunfight took place between Maoists and a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Border Security Force (BSF) along the Kanker-Narayanpur border. 
• Government’s Response: 
  • Union Home Minister hailed the operations as a “major success” in the fight against Naxalism. 
  • He reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance policy, stating that India would be Naxal-free by 31st March 2026. 

 District Reserve Guard (DRG)  

• The District Reserve Guard (DRG) is a specialized police unit in Chhattisgarh, established in 2008 to combat Maoist violence.  
• It consists of specially trained personnel operating in affected districts, conducting anti-Maoist operations, search and seizure, and gathering intelligence.  
• The DRG collaborates with other security forces, like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), to counter the Maoist insurgency.  

  Border Security Force (BSF)  

• The BSF was raised in 1965, after the India-Pakistan war.  
• It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces of the Union of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).  
  • Other Central Armed Police Forces are: Assam Rifles (AR), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), National Security Guards (NSG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).  
• The 2.65-lakh force is deployed along the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders.  
  • It is deployed on the Indo-Pakistan International Border, Indo-Bangladesh International Border, and Line of Control (LoC) along with the Indian Army and in Anti-Naxal Operations.  
• BSF has been defending Sir Creek in the Arabian Sea and the Sundarbans delta in the Bay of Bengal with its state of the art fleet of Water Crafts.  
• It contributes dedicated services to the UN peacekeeping Mission by sending a large contingent of its trained manpower every year.