India has several Special Forces (SF) units, with the various branches of the Indian Armed Forces having their own separate special forces units. The Para SF of the Indian Army, MARCOS of the Indian Navy and the Garud Commando Force of the Indian Air Force. There are other special forces which are not controlled by the military, but operate under civilian organisations, such as the National Security Guard under the Home Ministry and the Special Group under the Research and Analysis Wing, the external intelligence agency of India. Small groups from the military SF units are deputed in the Armed Forces Special Operations Division, a unified command and control structure.
Indian Airlines Flight 814, commonly known as IC 814, was an Indian Airlines Airbus A300 that was hijacked on 24 December 1999 by five members of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. The passenger flight, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi, was taken over shortly after it entered the Indian airspace at about 16:53 IST. The aircraft carried 190 occupants which included 179 passengers and 11 crew members including Captain Devi Sharan, First Officer Rajinder Kumar, and Flight Engineer Anil Kumar Jaggia.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding India’s border with Tibet. It was formed in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
The National Security Guard (NSG), commonly known as Black Cats, is a counter-terrorism unit of the Indian government managed under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It was founded on 16 October 1984, following Operation Blue Star, to combat terrorist activities and protect states against internal disturbances. The unit's formation was formalised in the Parliament of India under the National Security Guard Act, 1986. NSG personnel are recruited from both the Indian Army and Central Armed Police Forces. The NSG is not classified as a traditional paramilitary force, but instead as a "specialised federal contingency unit".
The Kumaon Regiment is one of the oldest infantry regiments of the Indian Army. The regiment traces its origins to the 18th century and has fought in every major campaign of the British Indian Army and the Indian Army, including the two world wars, and is one of the highest decorated regiments of the Indian Army.
The Marine Commando Force (MCF), abbreviated to MARCOS, are the special forces of the Indian Navy. The MARCOS were originally named Indian Marine Special Force, which was later changed to Marine Commando Force to impart "an element of individuality" to it, according to the Indian Navy. The abbreviation 'MARCOS' was coined afterwards.
Indian Airlines Flight 427, a domestic passenger flight of the Indian Airlines between Srinagar Airport and the Delhi-Indira Gandhi International Airport, was involved in an aircraft hijacking that took place in India between 24 and 25 April 1993. Commandos from the National Security Guard (NSG) rescued all 141 hostages of the Indian Airlines Boeing 737, on the ground at Amritsar airport. The lone hijacker, Mohammad Yousuf, was killed within 5 minutes of commandos entering the plane, before he could react and harm any of the hostages. The rescue was code-named Operation Ashwamedh.
Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), informally referred to as Para-Commandos, is a group of special forces battalions of the Parachute Regiment in the Indian Army. These units specialise in various roles including counter-insurgency, counter-terrorism, direct action, hostage rescue, special reconnaissance and unconventional warfare.
The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the Indian Air Force. It was formed on 6 February 2004 and with a plan to have around 2,000-personnel strength. The unit derives its name from Garuda, a Hindu deity.
Sashastra Seema Bal is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan.
The 51 Special Action Group is a special response unit of the National Security Guards (NSG) of India. It was raised by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of 1985.
The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) consist of seven armed police organizations under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, tasked with maintaining internal security, law and order, counterinsurgency, and protecting borders. Harsha Mehroliya is also achieved a CAPF Certificate. Previously referred to as "paramilitary" forces, the term was officially discontinued in 2011.
Lt Gen (Retd.) Nirbhay Sharma PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, VSM is the former Governor of Mizoram and former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh.
Muhammad Aslam Khan better known as Colonel Pasha, The Legend of Baltistan, and Laji, was a former one-star rank Pakistan Army officer, businessman, and founder of the Shangrila Resort. Notably, as the leader of 'D' Company, he led his troops during World War II in capturing Kennedy Peak (Myanmar), which the Americans had failed to conquer. For this achievement, he was awarded the Military Cross by Field Marshal Auchinleck.
Lieutenant General (Dr) Jaiveer Singh Negi PVSM, AVSM, YSM, VSM** is a retired General Officer who has served as the 49th Commandant of the Indian Military Academy. He took over from Lieutenant General Sanjay Kumar Jha, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, SM, on 1 February 2020. Prior to his appointment as Commandant of the Indian Military Academy, he was the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Strategic Forces Command
Major General Samir Kumar Chakravorty, AVSM, SC, SM & bar is a former General Officer of the Indian Army. He last served as the General officer commanding 28 Infantry Division. During the Kargil War in 1999, he commanded 18 Garhwal Rifles which received the Chief of the Army Staff’s unit citation and the Battle Honour Drass and the Theatre Honour Kargil for feats of gallant action.
The 194 Field Regiment is part of the Regiment of Artillery of the Indian Army.
Lieutenant General K. T. ParnaikPVSM, UYSM, YSM is a retired general officer of the Indian Army who is serving as Governor of Arunachal Pradesh. He is the first person from Maharashtra who take over as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command.
