Source: News on Air
Subject: Government Schemes
Context: The Indian Army’s Sabre Brigade conducted an intensive training programme for Village Defence Guards (VDGs) in Jammu to enhance their operational readiness and coordination with security forces.
About Village Defence Guards (VDGs):
What it is?
- Village Defence Guards (VDGs) are armed civilian defence groups constituted in vulnerable areas of Jammu & Kashmir to assist security forces in counter-terrorism, village protection, and intelligence gathering.
Launched in:
- March 2022, approved by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
- Replaced and restructured the earlier Village Defence Committees (VDCs) (1995).
Aim:
- To provide localised, immediate defence against militant threats.
- To act as a force multiplier for police and armed forces in remote and border villages.
- To enhance community participation in internal security.
Key features:
- Composition: Mainly ex-servicemen and trained civilians, identified at the panchayat level; group strength up to 15 members.
- Training & weapons: Trained by CRPF/Army; equipped with Self-Loading Rifles (SLRs) instead of older .303 rifles.
- Operational control: Function under the District SSP/SP, ensuring integration with the formal security grid.
- Remuneration: Group heads receive ₹4,500/month; members receive ₹4,000/month, unlike earlier VDCs where only SPOs were paid.
- Roles: Conduct day-night patrols, protect villages, religious places, and public infrastructure, and assist in search and cordon operations.
Significance:
- Acts as a second line of defence in areas with delayed security-force access.
- Residents’ familiarity with terrain improves early warning and intelligence inputs.
