Home Guards

Home Guards is a voluntary force, first raised in India in December 1946, to assist the police in controlling civil disturbance and communal riots. Subsequently, the concept of the voluntary citizen’s force was adopted by several States. In the wake of Chinese aggression in 1962, the Centre advised the States and Union Territories to merge their existing voluntary organisations into one uniform voluntary force known as Home Guards.

The Home Guards can be described as a volunteer-based emergency response force which comprises of a nucleus of regular Home Guards Officers, personnel and Home Guards volunteers.

In Meghalaya the Home Guards organisation comprises of the following components:

A. Permanent Government Employees:-

- Gazetted Officers belonging to the Junior Duty Posts and Senior Duty Posts of the Meghalaya Civil Defence & Home Guards Service

- Subordinate Officers (Sub Inspector to Inspector)

- Other Ranks (Lance Naiks to Havildars)

- Guardsman and Non-Combatant Employees

B. Voluntary

- Home Guards Volunteers

Act and Policy

Meghalaya has adapted the Assam Home Guards Acts and Rules, 1947 vide the Meghalaya Adaptation of Laws Order No.4). 1947 published in the Gazette of Meghalaya), dated 30.11.1971, File No. MCDG.17l1972) (As modified up to 8^th December 1962).

It has its own service rules which governs the recruitment and service conditions of its permanent employees. These are as follows:

- Meghalaya Civil Defence & Home Guards Service Rules, 1983

- Meghalaya Civil Defence & Home Guards (Subordinate) Service Rules, 2024

The organisation is also guided by the instructions laid in the Home Guards Compendium of Instruction, 2007, Governmene of India, Ministry of Home Affairs, New Delhi.

Role of Home Guards

1. To serve as an auxiliary to the police and assist in maintaining internal security.

2. Assist the community in any kind of emergency in air raid fire, flood, epidemic and so on.

3. Organise functional units to provide essential services such as motor transport, pioneer and engineer groups, fire brigades, nursing and first aid operation of water and power supply in installation etc.

4. Promote communal harmony and give assistance to the administrator in protecting weaker sections of the society.

5. Participate in socio Economic and welfare activities such as adult education, health and hygiene development.

Organisation

In Meghalaya, the Home Guards has been organised in the state, division and district level as follows:

State Level

I. Directorate of Civil Defence & Home Guards

II. Central Training Institute of Civil Defence & Home Guards

Division Level

I. Home Guards Division, Shillong

II. Home Guards Division, Tura

District Level

I. District Training Centre of Home Guards in 11 Districts of the State barring Eastern West Khasi Hills.

Special Unit of Home Guards

I. Border Wing Home Guards Battalion: Meghalaya is one amongst 7 other border states of India which is authorised to have Border Wing Home Guards Battalion.

II. Meghalaya Secretariat Home Guards: Almost similar to the Secretariat Security Force (SSF) or Secretariat Suraksha Dal, the Meghalaya Secretariat Home Guards (MSHG) is a company of regular Home Guards personnel which guards the 3 (Three) Civil Secretariats of the State.

Training & Recruitment

There are 3 (Three) ranks for which direct recruitment is conducted for the regular Home Guards personnel. These are as follows:

1. Gazetted Officers: Gazetted Officers of Meghalaya Civil Defence & Home Guards Services (MCDHGS) in the Junior Duty Post (equivalent to Deputy Superintendent of Police) are recruited by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC)

2. Sub Inspectors, Guardsman & NCEs: The Central Recruitment Board (CRB) of Civil Defence & Home Guards Department is authorised to recruit for the posts of Subordinate Officers (Sub Inspector) and Guardsman, Non-Combatant Employee (NCE)

3. Home Guards Volunteers: Home Guards volunteers are enrolled on fulfilling certain criteria and then imparted training by the respective District Training Centres Home Guards.

The training of Home Guards Officers, subordinate officers, other ranks, Jawans and Home Guards Volunteers are conducted in the following training academy, institutes and centres.

1. Gazetted Officers & Sub Inspectors: Gazetted Officers of Meghalaya Civil Defence & Home Guards Services (MCDHGS) in the Junior Duty Post (equivalent to Deputy Superintendent of Police) and Sub Inspectors attend Basic Training Course for DySP Probationers and Cadet SI at the North Eastern Police Academy (NEPA), Umsaw. Duration 1 (One Year)

2. Guardsman & NCEs: The Guardsman and Equivalent ranks and Non-Combatant Employee (NCE) are trained by the Central Training Institute of Civil Defence and Home Guards, Mawdiangdiang, Shillong. Duration 1 (One Year)

3. Home Guards Volunteers: Home Guards volunteers are training by the respective District Training Centres Home Guards. Duration 40-45 Days