The Special Protection Group (SPG) (विशेष सुरक्षा दल) is a security force of India formed in 1988 by an act of the Parliament of India for “providing proximate security to the Prime Minister of India and former Prime Minister of India and members of their immediate families”.Family members of a serving Prime Minister (PM) may decline security. Former PMs and their immediate family members may also, if they choose, decline SPG security.
The “general superitendence, direction and control” of the SPG is exercised by, the Central Government.The head of the force, called a Director, is appointed by the Central Govt. He is responsible for “the command and supervision” of the force.The director of the SPG since its inception has been an officer from the Indian Police service.Personnel of the Special Protection Group are drawn from Central Armed Police Forces & Railway Protection Force.
They are generally armed with FN F2000 Assault Rifles and Glock 17 Pistols (hidden in their suits) and are well connected with the rest of the security detail, through a myriad of communication devices. The CATs usually form the second cordon. They are tasked with providing ‘suppressing and covering’ firepower to allow enough time for the Protective Detail to get the PM to safety, in case of any eventuality. It is a defensive force which always follow the PM in his motorcade and are in position well before the PM arrives at his destination.
The SPG came into being on 8 April 1985 when Dr. S. Subramaniam, then Joint Director (VIP Security) in the Intelligence Bureau assumed office. Creation of the SPG required an elaborate exercise in order to clearly delineate responsibility of various agencies concerned with the security of the Prime Minister. The provisions contained in the Blue Book, which lays down security guidelines for the protection of the Prime Minister, had to be harmoniously blended with this new concept of proximate security.