SPG was established in 1985, a year after former PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her own security guards.
- It’s chief is an Inspector General- rank officer with a fixed tenure of three years.
- It is under the administrative control of the Cabinet Secretariat and the Secretary(Security) is it’s head.
- It’s mandate is to provide proximate protection to the Prime Minister, former Prime Ministers and their immediate family members.
- The SPG Act, 1988 came into being. As per Section 4(1A) of the Act any former PM or any member of his/her immediate family or that of the sitting PM can, if they choose to, decline SPG security.
- Members of the immediate family means wife, husband, children and parents.
- Earlier, former PMs were entitled to SPG cover for a minimum of 10 years after they demitted office, but it was revised to just one year after an amendment in 2003. The Act, however, says that the security cover should be withdrawn after one year only after the threat perception has been reviewed.
- The Act does not say anything about immediate family members of the PM being necessarily provided SPG security.
Also read: Statewise List of Embroidery in India
READ MORE: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.
