Border Security Force
| Border Security Force Sīmā Surakṣā Bala | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the Border Security Force | |
Flag of the Border Security Force | |
| Abbreviation | BSF |
| Motto | "जीवन पर्यन्त कर्तव्य" Jīvana Paryanta Kartavya ISO transl. "Duty Unto Death" |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1 December 1965 |
| Employees | 270,000 active personnel |
| Annual budget | ₹28,231.27 crore (US$3.3 billion) (2025–26) |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency | Republic of India |
| Operations jurisdiction | Republic of India |
| Governing body | Ministry of Home Affairs |
| Constituting instrument | |
| General nature | |
| Specialist jurisdiction |
|
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Minister responsible | |
| Agency executive | |
| Website | |
| www | |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Politics of India |
|---|
| India portal |
The Border Security Force (BSF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding India’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was formed in the wake of the Indo-Pak War of 1965 to ensure the security of India’s borders and for related matters.
The BSF has grown from 25 battalions in 1965, to 193 battalions with a sanctioned strength of 270,000 personnel including an expanding air wing, water wing, an artillery regiment and specialised units. It is currently the world's largest border security force. BSF has been termed the First Line of Defence of Indian territories.