Question
With reference to Home Guards, consider the following statements:
1. Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and Rules of the Central Government.
2. The role of the Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary force to the police in maintenance of internal security.
3. To prevent infiltration on the international border/coastal areas, the Border Wing Home Guards Battalions have been raised in some States.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Explanation
Home Guards, first raised in December 1946, are a voluntary auxiliary force that assists the police during internal security situations, disasters, and emergencies such as floods, fires, and epidemics.
Statement 1 is incorrect: Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and Rules of the individual States and Union Territories — not a central legislation. Each state or UT frames and administers its own rules for recruitment and functioning.
Statement 2 is correct: Their core role is genuinely to act as an auxiliary force to the police, supporting internal security, civil defence, and community welfare activities.
Statement 3 is correct: Several Border Wing Home Guards Battalions have indeed been raised in border states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and parts of the Northeast, working alongside the Border Security Force to check infiltration along international borders and coastal stretches.
So, two of the three statements hold up — the answer is Option B.