Have you ever wondered how to join SPG? If you have ever seen the Prime Minister (PM) of India during a public gathering or his convoy, you must have also seen some men wearing black suits and sunglasses with a briefcase surrounding him. This is the SPG which looks into the PM’s security.
If you’re in awe of the men who protect one of the most important persons in the country, this blog is just what you need. So, without any further delay, let us get started.
What is the Special Protection Group?
Before you know how to join SPG, you should know what it is. The Special Protection Group (SPF) is an agency that protects the Prime Minister of India. It comes under the Cabinet Secretariat and was constituted by the Special Protection Group Act of 1988. Its commandos act as the first line of defence for India’s PM and sometimes, his family, whether in India or abroad.
The motto of SPG is, “Shauryam, Samarpanam, Surakshanam”, that is, “Bravery, Dedication, Security”. The SPG commandos are equipped with the best weapons to ensure their responsibilities are taken care of, and accompany the PM at all times. These include:
- Semi-automatic pistols like Glock 17, Glock 19, and Five-seveN
- Submachine guns like FN P90 and Modern submachine carbine
- Assault rifles like FN F2000 and FN SCAR
How To Join SPG?
Now we tell you how to join SPG. Interestingly, there is no direct recruitment to join the agency, that is, you cannot give an examination or an interview as a candidate and join it. The entire recruitment happens internally from shortlisted officers. Let us look at the different stages:
Joining the Forces and Getting Shortlisted
The first step on how to join SPG is to join the paramilitary forces such as SSB, ITBP, CRPF, CAPF, among others or become an Indian Police Services (IPS) officer. Each of these organizations has their separate recruitment procedures, namely:
- Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) Examination for paramilitary
- Civil Services Examination (CSE) with IPS as first preference
Both the exams are conducted by the UPSC. Once you have joined any other mentioned services, you need to qualify certain criteria to be shortlisted for the next phase. These include:
- Being less than 35 years of age
- Having good eyesight
- Appropriate service record
- Physical and mental robustness
Based on these criteria, the higher officials shortlist the required number of officers for the next job. Before knowing how to join SPG, please know that each commando serves for a maximum of three years only. This is then submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further scrutiny.
Personal Interview
The next step on how to join SPG after shortlisting is personal interview round. All candidates who have been shortlisted by the higher officials are interviewed by a five-member-panel. This comprises a senior IPS officer, who is accompanied by two deputy DGs and two assistants.
Just like the interview to become ADC of the President of India, the shortlisted officers are asked questions from international affairs, domestic events, and situation-specific questions. The idea is to pressurize the person and check how they respond to it.
Psychological and Written Test
Those who are considered to have potential among the interviewed candidates are shortlisted for the next round on how to join SPG. This is the psychological test. The purpose of this test is similar to the one conducted in the SSB interview.
The assessors seek to understand how the officer under assessment thinks. It is an important way to check the cognitive robustness of the officer by creating psychological pressure through time-bound tests.
The written test is an optional one, which may be conducted when the officers want to, let’s say break a tie among two candidates. Hence, we do not build on this area on how to join SPG.
Physical Fitness Test
Finally, after two rigorous and mentally challenging phases, we come to the physical aspect of how to join SPG. All those who are selected after the psychological test undergo the physical fitness test. To protect the PM from any kind of threat, you need to be physically fit and in shape, hence, the officers need to qualify the same well.
Final Thoughts
All those who qualify the set standards become SPG commandos and serve as the PM’s security on deputation. They don’t just serve, but also inspire the young minds to step into their shoes someday. The sight of SPG commandos from the Republic Day parade to the PM’s convoy or rally is not just a spectacle but a symbol of responsibility, duty, and efficiency.
