The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is facing an “ongoing” face-off with Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh, ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor said on Thursday. Kapoor was addressing troops at a force base in Rajasthan’s Alwar ahead of the ITBP’s 65th Raising Day on October 24.
Kapoor said the force has raised a new combat unit, the Shaurya commandos, which demonstrated its capabilities during the face-off. The commandos will be deployed in every border battalion, he said.
The confirmation marks the ITBP’s first public acknowledgement of escalating face-offs with China since July.
Kapoor said traditional methods of warfare were no longer sufficient to counter China, which he called India’s “biggest adversary.” The ITBP guards the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
The force has raised drone platoons in every border battalion, Kapoor said. The ITBP has received Rs 400 crore in government funding, with 70 per cent earmarked for drone warfare capabilities, he said.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has given in-principle approval for a Rs 4,000-crore modernisation plan, including Rs 1,000 crore for drone and anti-drone systems, Kapoor said.
The ITBP has developed a new ‘Strike’ course to prepare personnel for combat situations similar to the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash, Kapoor said. The entire force will complete the training by the end of 2027.
Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the Galwan clash in eastern Ladakh. China later acknowledged the deaths of four of its soldiers, though multiple reports suggested the toll was higher.
The force is also building underground shelters at forward locations, Kapoor said. Above-ground structures could become targets in a conflict, he said.
The ITBP has about 95,000 personnel, Kapoor said. He is set to retire from service on October 31.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the face-offs on Friday, saying there was a “deafening silence” from the government. Ramesh cited Kapoor’s remarks in a post on X.
Ramesh said corps commander talks were held at Wacha and Damai in Arunachal Pradesh last month after a face-off at Taksing. He alleged that patrolling points had been lost, as in Ladakh.
Ramesh also said China was renaming towns in Arunachal Pradesh and building a 60,000-MW dam that threatened India’s ecology and water security.
He said India’s trade deficit with China rose to a record USD 112 billion in 2025-26, up from USD 99 billion the previous year. There was no immediate response from the government or the BJP, PTI reported.
(With inputs from PTI)