Giriraj Singh Greets ITBP on Its 64th Raising Day
Synopsis
Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh wished ITBP personnel and their families on the force's Raising Day, 24 October, calling their courage a national inspiration. The ITBP was raised on this date in 1962 after the Sino-Indian War to guard the Himalayan border with Tibet.
Key Takeaways
Giriraj Singh posted a Raising Day tribute to ITBP on 24 October 2026 .
The ITBP was raised on 24 October 1962 , making this its 64th Raising Day .
The force was created in direct response to the 1962 Sino-Indian War to secure the Himalayan frontier.
ITBP operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and guards India's border with Tibet along the Line of Actual Control .
Singh called the force's dedication and courage 'a source of inspiration for all of us,' signing off with Jai Hind .
Born in the crucible of the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) marks its Raising Day on 24 October each year — a date that carries the weight of every patrol along the high-altitude Line of Actual Control. Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh marked the occasion on Saturday, 24 October 2026, with a tribute to the force and its families on X.
Writing in Hindi, Singh extended warm greetings: 'ITBP ke veer jawanon aur unke parijanon ko Bharat-Tibet Sima Police ke Sthapna Divas ki hardik badhai' — 'Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the brave soldiers of ITBP and their families on the Raising Day of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.' He called their dedication to national security and 'indomitable courage' a source of inspiration for every Indian, closing with 'Jai Hind.'
Raised in War, Rooted in the Himalayas
The ITBP was stood up on 24 October 1962, in the immediate wake of China's military offensive, to plug gaps along a border no other force was equipped to hold. Operating at altitudes where the air itself becomes an adversary, the force has since been responsible for guarding India's frontier with Tibet across the length of the Himalayas — from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east.
The force operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs as a Central Armed Police Force. Its mandate has remained constant for 64 years: secure the Line of Actual Control, prevent trans-border crime, and hold ground where the terrain is as hostile as any opponent.
A Ritual of Recognition That Carries Real Weight
Union ministers routinely salute Central Armed Police Forces on their raising days — but for the ITBP, those greetings land against a backdrop of genuine operational pressure. The force's families endure long separations at some of the most remote postings in the country, and the annual acknowledgement from political leadership serves as a formal, public reminder that the sacrifice is seen.
Singh's post — brief, bilingual in spirit, and direct — follows a pattern common among senior BJP leaders, but the occasion itself is anything but routine: six decades of unbroken vigil on the world's highest and most contested border deserves nothing less.
The ITBP stands watch so the rest of India does not have to.
Point of View
But it also serves a strategic function: reinforcing the government's narrative of robust attention to the northern border at a time when the Line of Actual Control with China remains a sensitive diplomatic and security theatre. For a force born out of military reversal in 1962, each year of acknowledgement is also a quiet assertion that the same vulnerability will not recur. Singh's tribute, though ceremonial in form, slots into a broader BJP emphasis on 'border security as national pride' — a theme that resonates strongly with the party's core electoral messaging.
NationPress
24 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is ITBP Raising Day celebrated?
ITBP Raising Day is celebrated on 24 October every year, marking the date the Indo-Tibetan Border Police was raised in 1962 after the Sino-Indian War.
What is the ITBP and what does it do?
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a Central Armed Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding India's Himalayan border with Tibet along the Line of Actual Control with China.
Why was the ITBP formed?
The ITBP was raised on 24 October 1962 in the immediate aftermath of the Sino-Indian War to secure India's northern frontier in the Himalayas, where no adequately equipped force previously existed.
What did Giriraj Singh say about ITBP on Raising Day 2026?
Giriraj Singh offered heartfelt congratulations to ITBP personnel and their families, calling their dedication and 'indomitable courage' a source of inspiration for all Indians, and signing off with Jai Hind .
Which ministry controls the ITBP?
The ITBP functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs as one of India's Central Armed Police Forces.
