Budget 2025: Border security gets massive 87% jump in funds — What are Home Ministry’s new priorities?

The allocation for border infrastructure, meanwhile, saw a sharp 87% rise — from Rs 2,794.57 crore to Rs 5,237.93 crore. This will be spent on the check posts along the international border and setting up surveillance infrastructure.

This magnified focus on the borders come after an increase over the last year in cross-border infiltration and terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the once-relatively peaceful Jammu division.

The Budget also allocated just Rs 574.80 crore (Rs 572 crore in 2024-25) towards work related to the census — a clear indication that the decadal exercise will be delayed. The census was supposed to be carried out in 2020-21 but was postponed owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Among the paramilitary forces, the CRPF got Rs 35,147.17 crore, up from a revised estimate of Rs 34,328.61 crore in 2024-25; the BSF got Rs 28,231.27 crore (Rs 27,895.73 crore in 2024-25); the CISF was allotted Rs 16,084.83 crore (Rs 15,272.22 crore in 2024-25); the ITBP got Rs 10,370 crore (Rs 9,861.14 crore in 2024-25); the SSB was given Rs 10,237.28 crore (Rs 9,834.59 crore in 2024-25) and the Assam Rifles was allotted Rs 8,274.29 crore (Rs 7,855.23 crore in 2024-25).

On the allocation for the CAPFs, the budget document said: “This provision is for meeting administrative expenditures of the CAPFs — CRPF, BSF, NSG, ITBP, CISF, SSB, Assam Rifles and departmental accounting organisations attached with these forces. The provision under the capital section is meant for procurement of machinery and equipment and motor vehicles.”

The Union Territory of J&K has been given Rs 11,931 crore this budget, (Rs 11,467.62 crore revised estimate in 2024-25). The Delhi Police has got an increased Rs 11,931.66 crore for their office building and residential building projects in the capital (Rs 11,467.62 crore revised estimate in 2024-25).

“The budget for police infrastructure funding has been increased from Rs 1,986.28 crore to Rs 4,379.20 crore. Forensic and Cybercrime Prevention has seen an investment in forensic infrastructure rose significantly, with Rs 500 crore earmarked for Modernization of Forensic Capabilities, compared to just Rs 150 crore last year,” stated the budget document.

The budget for the National Intelligence Grid has been reduced from Rs 247.72 crore to Rs 158.23 crore and the budget for the Intelligence Bureau has decreased from Rs 3,996.21 crore to Rs 3,893.35 crore. The budget for the 3,000-strong Special Protection Group, which provides security for the prime minister, has also been cut from Rs 510.97 crore to Rs 489 crore in this budget.