Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah inspects indigenous and state-of-the-art technologies designed to further strengthen border security at the Jhumagachh BOP in Siliguri, West Bengal

📌 Summary:

• Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inspected indigenous, state-of-the-art border security technologies at the Jhumagachh Border Outpost (BOP), Siliguri, West Bengal, on 18 July 2026

• Technologies inspected: a radio-based fence breach detection system that instantly alerts troops by broadcasting a pre-recorded message when the fence is tampered with; an infra-red alarm system for difficult terrain (rivers, streams, gaps in fencing) that warns troops when infrared beams are interrupted; and a gate management system for safe, smooth movement of civilians and farmers along the India-Bangladesh border

• Laid the foundation, virtually, for three BSF projects worth ₹47 crore and for a 4-km border fence costing ₹30 crore on newly acquired land for two border outposts in West Bengal — approximately ₹77 crore in total

• Interacted with BSF personnel at a 'Prahari Sammelan'; visited a watchtower and joined a tree plantation drive

• Stated that the Government is committed to making all of India's borders impregnable and is building a "quadrangular security grid" based on the concept of 'smart borders' to prevent infiltration

• Emphasised that the welfare of border-guarding personnel and their families is a top priority

• Also chaired meetings on border-related issues in West Bengal and on the full implementation of the three new criminal laws and the birth and death registration system in the State

• Dignitaries present included the Chief Minister of West Bengal, the Union Home Secretary, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau and the Director General of the BSF

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 — Internal Security (border management, security challenges in border areas, role of security forces, technology in surveillance); GS2 — Centre-State coordination on internal security.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• BSF (Border Security Force), raised in 1965, is a Central Armed Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs; it guards the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders and is called the "First Line of Defence"

• India-Bangladesh border is India's longest land border at roughly 4,096 km; West Bengal shares the longest stretch of it among Indian States

• The Siliguri Corridor (the "Chicken's Neck") is the narrow strip in West Bengal connecting mainland India to the North-Eastern States

• CIBMS (Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System) integrates sensors, radars, cameras and command-and-control for electronic surveillance of borders

• The three new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam — replaced the IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act

🔑 Key Term: Smart Border / Smart Fencing — a technology-led border management approach that layers electronic sensors, thermal and infra-red imagers, radars, laser walls and command-and-control software over physical fencing, enabling detection and response in terrain where continuous physical fencing is not feasible.