The Special Protection Group (Amendment) Act, 2019 is an amendment to the Special Protection Group Act, 1988.
Key Provisions
The 2019 Act amends the provision to state that the SPG will provide security to the Prime Minister, and members of his immediate family residing with him at his official residence. It will also provide security to any former Prime Ministers, and his immediate family members residing with him at the residence allotted to him. This security will be provided for a period of five years from the date on which he ceases to hold the office of Prime Minister.
The 1988 Act provides that if the SPG security is withdrawn from a former Prime Minister, it will also be withdrawn from his immediate family members, unless the level of threat faced by the immediate family member warrants such security. The Bill removes this condition to state that if the SPG security is withdrawn from a former Prime Minister, it will also be withdrawn from his immediate family members.
Special Protection Group: SPG is an elite force, raised in 1985 to provide proximate security cover to the Prime Minister, former PMs and their immediate family after the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1984.
