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Rashtriya Rifles
The Rashtriya Rifles (RR; transl. National rifles) is a counter-insurgency force in India, formed in 1990s, to deal with internal security in the Jammu and Kashmir region. They maintain public order by drawing powers from the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 (AFSPA). Its personnel are provided by the Indian Army on deputation.
The force operates under the Ministry of Defence. The Indian Army describes RR as their "specialist elite force to combat insurgency". The RR is headquartered at Northern Command in Udhampur and commanded by an Additional Director General of Rashtriya Rifles (ADG RR).
The continuous deployment of the Indian Army in domestic counter-insurgency operations, alongside the existing conventional duties at the borders, necessitated a specially structured and organized force to manage India's internal security challenges while also supporting the Indian Army during conventional conflicts. In 1988, a proposal for a counter-insurgency force was presented to the Government of India.
Rashtriya Rifles was raised on 1 October 1990 by the then Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General S. F. Rodrigues, with Lieutenant General P. C. Mankotia serving as its first Director General of Rashtriya Rifles (DG RR). The force was composed entirely of personnel on deputation from the Indian Army. It was created by reconstituting two Indian Army corps (about 75,000 troops). Initially, six battalions were raised, with three deployed in Punjab and three in Jammu and Kashmir.
By 1994, prior to his passing, General Joshi had expanded the force to 36 battalions through persistent advocacy with the government. Eventually, all battalions were repositioned exclusively to Jammu and Kashmir, where they have since engaged in low-intensity conflicts. The next COAS, General Shankar Roy Chowdhury, directed each regiment to raise two battalions for the RR. The Indian Army describes RR as their "specialist elite force to combat insurgency". Their motto is dridta aur veerta, meaning determination and valour.
Until 1997, the Rashtriya Rifles was funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as internal security fell under its jurisdiction, despite the force being carved out from existing Indian Army regiments.
From 1990 onwards, the MHA owed a sum of ₹950 crore (equivalent to ₹93 billion or US$1.1 billion in 2023) crore to the Army for the raising and equipping of the RR. Beginning in the 1998-99 fiscal year, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) allocated separate funds for the RR under the Army's demands for grants. By the end of 2005, the force was projected to consist of 66 battalions, each with 1,150 personnel dedicated to counter-insurgency operations. The budgetary allocation for the force rose significantly, from ₹263 crore (equivalent to ₹26 billion or US$310 million in 2023) in 1998-99 to ₹1,414 crore (equivalent to ₹45 billion or US$540 million in 2023) in 2006-07. Today, the RR budget is allocated separately from the Army's budget under distinct heads. In 2024-25, the government of India allocated ₹10,534 crore (US$1.2 billion) as demands for grants.
The Rashtriya Rifles (RR) has a distinct administrative and organizational structure compared to the Indian Army. It lacks formal categorization and is often described as a paramilitary force. In terms of training and equipment, it occupies a position between a paramilitary organization and the regular army. General K. V. Krishna Rao, former Chief of the Army Staff, referred to it as "a semi-military organization". Unlike the Army, RR battalions have support services, such as the Indian Army Service Corps and Indian Army Corps of Engineers, available at the battalion level rather than the brigade level. Each battalion consists of six companies without heavy weapons, though troops are trained to operate them. Unlike regular Army units, RR units are stationed in fixed locations and operate under five sector headquarters, each led by a two-star ranking Major General: Victor Force (Valley (Kashmir)), Kilo Force (Kupwara and Baramulla), Delta Force (Doda), Romeo Force (Rajouri and Poonch), and Uniform Force (Udhampur).
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Rashtriya Rifles
The Rashtriya Rifles (RR; transl. National rifles) is a counter-insurgency force in India, formed in 1990s, to deal with internal security in the Jammu and Kashmir region. They maintain public order by drawing powers from the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 (AFSPA). Its personnel are provided by the Indian Army on deputation.
The force operates under the Ministry of Defence. The Indian Army describes RR as their "specialist elite force to combat insurgency". The RR is headquartered at Northern Command in Udhampur and commanded by an Additional Director General of Rashtriya Rifles (ADG RR).
The continuous deployment of the Indian Army in domestic counter-insurgency operations, alongside the existing conventional duties at the borders, necessitated a specially structured and organized force to manage India's internal security challenges while also supporting the Indian Army during conventional conflicts. In 1988, a proposal for a counter-insurgency force was presented to the Government of India.
Rashtriya Rifles was raised on 1 October 1990 by the then Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General S. F. Rodrigues, with Lieutenant General P. C. Mankotia serving as its first Director General of Rashtriya Rifles (DG RR). The force was composed entirely of personnel on deputation from the Indian Army. It was created by reconstituting two Indian Army corps (about 75,000 troops). Initially, six battalions were raised, with three deployed in Punjab and three in Jammu and Kashmir.
By 1994, prior to his passing, General Joshi had expanded the force to 36 battalions through persistent advocacy with the government. Eventually, all battalions were repositioned exclusively to Jammu and Kashmir, where they have since engaged in low-intensity conflicts. The next COAS, General Shankar Roy Chowdhury, directed each regiment to raise two battalions for the RR. The Indian Army describes RR as their "specialist elite force to combat insurgency". Their motto is dridta aur veerta, meaning determination and valour.
Until 1997, the Rashtriya Rifles was funded by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as internal security fell under its jurisdiction, despite the force being carved out from existing Indian Army regiments.
From 1990 onwards, the MHA owed a sum of ₹950 crore (equivalent to ₹93 billion or US$1.1 billion in 2023) crore to the Army for the raising and equipping of the RR. Beginning in the 1998-99 fiscal year, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) allocated separate funds for the RR under the Army's demands for grants. By the end of 2005, the force was projected to consist of 66 battalions, each with 1,150 personnel dedicated to counter-insurgency operations. The budgetary allocation for the force rose significantly, from ₹263 crore (equivalent to ₹26 billion or US$310 million in 2023) in 1998-99 to ₹1,414 crore (equivalent to ₹45 billion or US$540 million in 2023) in 2006-07. Today, the RR budget is allocated separately from the Army's budget under distinct heads. In 2024-25, the government of India allocated ₹10,534 crore (US$1.2 billion) as demands for grants.
The Rashtriya Rifles (RR) has a distinct administrative and organizational structure compared to the Indian Army. It lacks formal categorization and is often described as a paramilitary force. In terms of training and equipment, it occupies a position between a paramilitary organization and the regular army. General K. V. Krishna Rao, former Chief of the Army Staff, referred to it as "a semi-military organization". Unlike the Army, RR battalions have support services, such as the Indian Army Service Corps and Indian Army Corps of Engineers, available at the battalion level rather than the brigade level. Each battalion consists of six companies without heavy weapons, though troops are trained to operate them. Unlike regular Army units, RR units are stationed in fixed locations and operate under five sector headquarters, each led by a two-star ranking Major General: Victor Force (Valley (Kashmir)), Kilo Force (Kupwara and Baramulla), Delta Force (Doda), Romeo Force (Rajouri and Poonch), and Uniform Force (Udhampur).