Editing Border Security Force (section)

== Roles ==
'''During peacetime'''
* Border guarding and security.
* Prevention of trans-border crimes, unauthorized entry into or exit from the territory of India.
* Prevention of smuggling and any other illegal activities on the border.
* Anti-infiltration duties.
* Collection of trans-border intelligence.
* To promote a sense of security among the people living in the border areas.

'''During war time'''
* Holding ground in assigned sectors.
* Limited aggressive action against irregular forces of the enemy. 
* Maintenance of law and order in enemy territory administered under the Army's control.
* Acting as guides to the Army in border areas.
* Assistance in control of refugees.
* Provision of escorts.
* Performing special tasks connected with intelligence including cross-border raids.<ref name="India 2013"/>
* Replenishing manpower.

The BSF is also employed for internal security duties and other law and order duties on the requisition of the State Government. Being a Central Armed Police Force, it can be entrusted with policing duties at any place apart from its mandate.<ref name="India 2013">Page no. 636 & 637 of Chapter 20 India 2013 published by Publications Division of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India</ref> Although originally charged with guarding India's external boundaries, the BSF in the 1990s was also given the task of [[counter-insurgency]] and [[counter-terrorism]] operations in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and the Northeastern Seven Sister States. While in Punjab, the BSF took part in operations like Blue Star, Black Thunder 1 & 2. However, when the [[insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir]] broke out in 1989, it moved towards the state and handed over the operations in Punjab to CRPF and local police. In [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]], the state police and the thinly-deployed [[Central Reserve Police Force]] (CRPF) struggled to cope with the torturous violence, so it was deployed to combat these.

In Jammu and Kashmir, the BSF initially suffered casualties from terrorist attacks but later saw successes. During the initial years, terrorist activity had even reached Jammu and parts of Northern Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. However, it was only due to the successful operations by BSF that by the late 1990s, their area of activity had been restricted only to the valley. 
BSF was also successful in setting up a robust [[Human intelligence (intelligence gathering)|HUMINT]] network. From arresting Maulana Masood Azhar, Bitta Karate, Yasin Malik, the BSF is also credited for killing [[Ghazi Baba]] - the chief of [[Jaish-e-Mohammed]] and the mastermind of the [[2001 Indian Parliament attack]] in August 2003, along with his deputy commander. The BSF raided Baba's hideout in [[Srinagar]], and he was killed in the ensuing gun battle along with his deputy chief.

However, with changing tactical and operational conditions, and expansion and modernisation of State police, the Government withdrew all 60 BSF battalions and redeployed them on the [[Indo-Pakistani border]] and [[Bangladesh–India border]]. These troops were then replaced by fresh troops from the [[Central Reserve Police Force|CRPF]] that had undergone specialised training in [[counter-terrorism]].

Some units of the BSF are also deployed in Central India to combat Naxal violence. Counter-Maoist operations are diversified. BSF is deployed in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, where Naxal strength is comparatively thinner than that of other parts of [[Bastar district|Bastar]] region. At present total 15 battalions of BSF are stationed in different parts of Kanker district to combat the Naxal.

After recent civilian killings in Kashmir the Home Ministry re-inducted the BSF for counter-insurgency operations and law-and-order duties in valley. The BSF units will be deployed in sensitive areas which lie in various districts of the Kashmir valley. A significant contributor to BSF success in the Kashmir Valley is Commandant Jagmohan Singh Rawat SM, KC. He has played a crucial role in counter-insurgency operations.