Security categories in India

In India, security details are provided to some high-risk individuals by the police and local government. Depending on the threat perception to the person, the category is divided into four tiers: Z+ (highest level), Z, Y and X. Individuals under this security blanket include the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, Supreme Court and High Court Judges, Service Chiefs of Indian Armed Forces, Governors of State, Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers.[1]

  • SPG category is a security detail whose strength is classified (only provided to the Prime Minister of India).
  • Z+ category is a security detail of 55 personnel, including 10+ NSG commandos and police personnel.
  • Z category is a security detail of 22 personnel, including 4 or 5 NSG commandos and police personnel.
  • Y category is a security detail of 11 personnel, including 1 or 2 commandos and police personnel.
  • X category is a security detail of 2 personnel, with no commandos but only armed police personnel.

The Z+ level of security is provided by National Security Guard commandos. They are armed with Heckler & Koch MP5 sub-machine guns and modern communication equipment, and each member of the team is adept in martial arts and unarmed combat skills. Currently 17 VIPs are provided with such protection.[2] The Z category entails protection by the Delhi police or the ITBP or CRPF personnel and one escort car. The Y category encompasses two personal security officers (PSOs) and the X category, one PSO.[3]

The SPG (Special Protection Group), NSG (National Security Guards), ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) CISF (Central Industrial Security Force) are the agencies responsible for providing securities to VVIPs, VIPs, politicians, high-profile celebrities and sportspersons. The NSG is used extensively to guard VIPs and VVIPs, especially those in the Z+ category. Many NSG personnel are seconded to the Special Protection Group (SPG) which guards the Prime Minister.[4]

Categories
Different categories of security cover
Category Number of Commandos Total personnel Current cover
SPG Classified Classified Narendra Modi
Z+ 10+ 55 Amit Shah,

Sonia Gandhi,

Rahul Gandhi,

Priyanka Gandhi

Z 4-5 22 Around 300 members belonging

to various categories.

(As of 2018) [5]

Y+ 1-2 11
Y Nil 8
X Nil 2

Controversy

In some cases being placed in a category is viewed as a status symbol by politicians, and many use their clout to secure a Z+ security detail. This is criticised often by media as a waste of taxpayer's money.[6] Former Home Minister P. Chidambaram phased out the use of the NSG for VIP protection in all but the most serious cases. Nevertheless, controversies arose as many politicians remained under a Z+ category while many bureaucrats were moved down to Y.

In 2014 as a part of Z security, 25 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Punjab Police were put in attendance for the security of Ashutosh Maharaj, a spiritual leader who has been declared clinically dead by doctors.[7]

Failures

Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister was assassinated by members of her own security detail. Rajbir Singh, a famous encounter specialist was killed in March 2008 despite a Z-level security detail.[8] While under protection from the security detail, former Union Minister Pramod Mahajan was shot dead by his brother.

References
  1. "What is X, Y and Z security category?". Hindustan Times. 7 June 2007. Archived from the original on 27 April 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  2. "Naxal threat: Raman Singh gets 'Z+' NSG cover". Hindustan Times. 26 May 2013. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  3. "What is X, Y and Z security category?". Hindustan Times. 7 June 2007. Archived from the original on 21 June 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
  4. Doval, Nikita (9 June 2015). "Understanding VIP security in India". Mint. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  5. Sharma, Unnati (9 September 2020). "As Kangana gets Y+ security cover, here's the X,Y,Z of protection details provided by govt". ThePrint. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  6. "My security is Z+, what's yours?". Daily News and Analysis. 25 July 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2017.
  7. "For Z security personnel, this dead saint is 'alive'". Patrika Group. 11 July 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2017.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. "Encounter specialist Rajbir Singh shot dead". Retrieved 18 May 2017.
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