Key Points

According to top security sources, 120 CISF Quick Response Team (QRT) commandos were trained by the Southern Command in Pune in the first batch, followed by 91 personnel under the Northern Command in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.

The third batch comprised 30 personnel, while the fourth batch of 101 commandos completed training in Pune in late September.

“Notably, these QRT members have already completed a rigorous six-month in-house CISF training prior to joining the Army module,” an official said.

Officials said the specialised training covers urban and jungle warfare, high-risk zone engagement, and integrated drone warfare tactics, equipping CISF commandos with Army-grade reflexes and combat readiness.

“This training will enable CISF personnel to respond with military precision to crises at airports, nuclear facilities, government installations, and even Parliament,” an official confirmed.

With Bihar elections scheduled next month and nearly 500 CAPF companies being mobilised, the next phase of CISF training has been temporarily paused.

In a major capacity expansion, the Union Home Ministry in August this year approved raising CISF strength from 1.62 lakh to 2.2 lakh personnel.

Nearly 15 per cent of the force constitutes QRT units, and according to sources, the target is to bring them on par with the Indian Army’s combat efficiency by 2028.

To boost firepower, CISF — which currently uses INSAS, AK-47s and sniper platforms — is likely to be equipped with AK-203 rifles, along with new fold-butt rifles designed for close-quarter combat.

Most of the newly trained commandos have already been deployed at hypersensitive sites, including at the airports in Jammu, Kashmir, Leh and other critical installations.

With the government pushing ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in defence production and increasing private sector participation, CISF is expected to undergo a major technological transformation in the months ahead.

In the domain of drones, which has become a key aspect in modern warfare, seen during the four-day India-Pakistan conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war and the now-ended’ Israel-Hamas war. CISF is likely to induct nearly 350 drones in the coming months and will equip the commandos with better strength stationed at sensitive zones.

- IANS