Union Home Minister Amit Shah Chairs Meeting on Border-Related Issues in Bhuj, Gujarat

📌 Summary:

• Union Home Minister & Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a security review meeting in Bhuj, Gujarat, focused on India-Pakistan Border (IPB) districts: Kutch, Vav-Tharad, and Patan; CM, Dy CM, Chief Secretary, DGP and DMs/SPs of border districts attended

• Achievements cited: border fencing, maritime security and political will have brought complete cessation of infiltration into Gujarat and cross-border smuggling

• District Magistrates directed to strictly monitor and report demographic changes in border districts; reverse migration owing to new industrial units welcomed

• Zero-tolerance directive: eliminate all unauthorised encroachments within the 0–15 km belt along the international border; maintain sharp vigil on radicalisation centres

• Institutional reform: a Security Coordination Group to be set up in every border district comprising BSF, Coast Guard, IT Department, ED and the Lead Bank Manager

• Financial security focus: strict vigil on hawala, mule accounts, shell companies, suspicious vehicles, GST collections; IT Department + RBI to conduct comprehensive survey drive; enforcement of Income Tax, PMLA and Customs laws to rest with DM, SP and IG (Border Range)

• Coastal security tied to International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) — coordination with Indian Coast Guard prioritised; 100% saturation of Central + State welfare schemes mandated in border villages alongside Vibrant Villages Programme

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Internal Security — comprehensive border management combining physical infrastructure (fencing), financial-crime enforcement and welfare saturation; integration of revenue/ED/IT agencies into the border security architecture; demographic vigilance as security input.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• India-Pakistan Border = 3,323 km, including 508 km along Gujarat (mostly through Rann of Kutch)
• BSF = nodal force for IPB and India-Bangladesh Border; raised in 1965
• IMBL = International Maritime Boundary Line; sea boundary delimited by treaty (Sir Creek dispute lies in this region with Pakistan)
• Vibrant Villages Programme launched in 2023 (Phase I); Phase II announced for additional border villages
• 0–15 km belt encroachment policy is part of border land-use rules

🔑 Key Term: Security Coordination Group — a district-level multi-agency committee proposed by the Union Home Minister comprising BSF, Coast Guard, IT Department, ED and Lead Bank Manager to integrate physical, financial and economic intelligence in border security.