New Delhi, 16 October 2026: India’s National Security Guard (NSG), the federal counter-terrorism force known as the Black Cats, completed 42 years on Raising Day today. The occasion drew messages from national and state leaders, with tributes focusing on the force’s role in high-risk counter-terror duties, its strict standards of training, and the sacrifices made by personnel, veterans and their families.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended greetings to the “warriors of the National Security Guard.” In his message, he said the NSG Black Cats have “blown up every terror threat to India with the fury of the storms and guarded the nation with steely courage, flawless professionalism and valiant sacrifices,” and he also saluted the martyrs of the force. The Indian Army, through the Additional Directorate General of Public Information, sent warm wishes on behalf of Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth and all ranks to NSG personnel, veterans and families, while invoking the motto Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha.
Several Chief Ministers and Union Ministers also acknowledged the force. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis paid tribute to the Black Cats and the quiet sacrifice of their families. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, and others praised the force’s courage and dedication. Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Dharmendra Pradhan and G. Kishan Reddy also saluted the commandos’ professionalism and commitment.
How the NSG was formed
The NSG was created after a Union Cabinet decision in 1984 to build a nodal national counter-terror force under the Ministry of Home Affairs, made up of highly motivated, specially equipped and rigorously trained personnel. A nucleus for the force was sanctioned in June 1984, and the NSG was later formally constituted under the National Security Guard Act, 1986, which received Presidential assent on 22 September 1986.
The move came after Operation Blue Star and the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, events that exposed the need for a dedicated federal contingency capability beyond the response capacity of state police and other central forces. The source describes the NSG as a specialised instrument intended for exceptional situations requiring a centralised and rapid response.
Modelled on the United Kingdom’s SAS and Germany’s GSG-9, the force is organised into two complementary elements. The Special Action Group (SAG) is drawn from the Indian Army, while the Special Ranger Groups (SRG) are drawn from Central Armed Police Forces and State Police. Its stated operational philosophy is a swift strike followed by immediate withdrawal from the theatre of action.
The NSG is not meant for routine policing and is deployed only in exceptional circumstances. Its vision is that of a “World Class Zero Error Force,” guided by the motto सर्वत्र सर्वोत्तम सुरक्षा (Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha — Best Security Everywhere).
Operations linked with the force
Since its inception, the NSG has been associated with counter-terrorism, hostage-rescue and anti-hijacking operations. The source cites Operation Black Thunder I and II, in which militants were cleared from the Golden Temple complex in 1986 and 1988; Operation Ashwamedh, the storming of a hijacked Indian Airlines aircraft at Amritsar in 1993 with no civilian casualties; Operation Vajra Shakti, mounted in response to the 2002 Akshardham Temple attack; and Operation Black Tornado during the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks in 2008.
During Operation Black Tornado, NSG commandos conducted prolonged multi-site operations at the Taj Mahal Palace, Oberoi Trident and Nariman House. The force has also been deployed in other contingencies, including the response to the Pathankot airbase attack.
Personnel serve on deputation and undergo intensive selection and training focused on speed, surprise, stealth, precision and accuracy. The force also maintains regional hubs to support rapid deployment, and the source notes outreach activities such as student visits and blood-donation camps ahead of this year’s Raising Day.
On its 42nd anniversary, the NSG remains the Ministry of Home Affairs’ nodal national counter-terror force and an instrument of last resort within India’s internal security architecture. The tributes on 16 October 2026 reflected the official recognition of the Black Cats’ discipline, operational readiness and the sacrifices that sustain the force’s zero-error ethos.
