Vibrant Villages Programme

In News

• Recently, the Union Home Minister asked BSF for efforts to increase tourism through a ‘vibrant village programme’ to enhance border security.
  • He also launched the Prahari app for the Border Security Force (BSF).

About the Prahari app

• It is a great example of Proactive Governance. 
• Jawans can get personal information and information related to accommodation, Ayushmann-CAPF and leaves on their mobiles.
• It will also include information related to the availability of Bio Data, Grievance redressal on the “Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System” (CP-GRAMS) and information on various welfare schemes.

About Vibrant Villages Programme

• Background:
  • It was announced in the Budget Speech 2022.
• Coverage:
  • The programme envisages coverage of border villages on the Northern border having sparse populations, limited connectivity and infrastructure, which often get left out from the development gains. 
• Significance
  • It should be used by all border-guarding forces to encourage tourism in border villages, to make them self-reliant and vibrant.

Border Security Force (BSF) 

• It is India’s border guarding forces along the borders of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
• Administrative Control: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• Purpose: It was raised in the wake of the 1965 War on 1 December 1965 as India’s first line of defence for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith.
• Deployment: On-Line of Control (LoC) along with the Indian Army and in Anti-Naxal Operations.
• Officials: The BSF has its own cadre of officers but its head, designated as a Director-General (DG), since its raising has been an officer from the Indian Police Service (IPS).

Source: TH