Sashastra Seema Bal

Defence India

November 29, 2013

A commemorative postage stamp on the 50^th Anniversary of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Armed Border Force of India :

Issued by India

Issued on Nov 29, 2013

Issued for : SSB is in its Golden Jubilee year celebrating glorious years of unflinching service to the nation. Department of Posts is happy to commemorate this occasion by releasing a postage stamp on Sashastra Seema Bal.

Credits :
Stamp/FDC/Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.42 Million (0.11 million for the proponent)

Printing Process : Wet Offset

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About :

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is a unique unconventional organization, designed to work in the far-flung, strategic but vulnerable border areas motivating the border population across several states to work as a cohesive population aware of the threats from across the border and ready to respond in their own way.
The humble beginning of Sashastra Seema Bal, earlier known as Special Service Bureau, was made in 1963 under Cabinet Secretariat in Tezpur (Assam) and also in the North-Eastern Frontier Agency (NEFA), later re-named as Arunachal Pradesh. SSB soon spread out into North Bengal, hills of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. In the next two decades, SSB extended its footprints to the border areas of Manipur, Sikkim, Rajasthan, Guwahati, South Bengal and Nagaland. Guided by its motto of “Service, Security and Brotherhood”, SSB soon became a household name of the border areas and it was better understood as People’s Force.
In the aftermath of the Kargil war the policy makers altered the role of SSB from “People’s Force” to “Men in Uniform” guarding 1751 kms long Indo-Nepal border. In 2001, the Special Service Bureau became Sashastra Seema Bal. Later in 2004, it was also given the responsibility of guarding 699 kms long Indo-Bhutan border. Working under the Ministry of Home Affairs, SSB is now spread along the international borders in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and part of Arunachal Pradesh.
SSB has played an important role in curbing anti-national activities and international crime, be it FICN, narcotics, wild life trade, arms peddling and so on. The presence of SSB has indirectly contributed to conservation of our prestigious forests and wild life sanctuaries right from Uttarakhand to Arunachal Pradesh.
In recognition of its services, the President of India presented Colour to SSB in 2004. SSB’s officers and men have brought glory to the country and have earned many prestigious medals.
Text : Based on the material furnished by the proponent.