Inspired By Modi’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’, BSF Trains 150 Desi Dogs, Including 2024 Gold Medalist

Taking inspiration from one of the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ episodes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has given special emphasis on imparting training to Indian breed dogs and has trained 150 such canines so far.

The new initiative of the BSF has resulted in the addition of a total of 150 Indian breed dogs to the BSF’s dog squad teams.

The specially trained dog breeds include Rampur Hounds and Mudhol Hounds, with 20 currently kept at the BSF’s Tekanpur Training Centre for breeding.

Among them is Riya, a Mudhol Hound that won a gold medal in tracking at the 2024 All India Police Duty Meet, outperforming several foreign breeds.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mentioned Indian dog breeds in Mann Ki Baat. We have so far trained 150 of them, and Riya’s success is one of the best examples of our initiative in line with Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Shamsher Singh, Additional Director General (ADG) and Director of the BSF Academy, Tekanpur, told ANI.

The Prime Minister, in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ broadcast of August 2020, had spoken about the potential of breeds like Rajapalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai, and Combai, noting that “Indian breed dogs are very competent.”

Established in 1970, the National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD) is located at the BSF Academy in Tekanpur, Madhya Pradesh, and serves as the premier institution in India for training service dogs for paramilitary and police forces.

The centre has played a key role in breeding, training, and deploying dogs for duties such as tracking, guarding, narcotics and explosives detection, and search-and-rescue operations.

The centre houses a canine breeding wing, where Indian and foreign breeds are raised. Traditionally, breeds such as German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Labradors were used, but in recent years the BSF has placed greater emphasis on indigenous breeds like the Rampur Hound and Mudhol Hound.

Tekanpur’s school is also tasked with specialised training programmes for dogs and their handlers, including conditioning them for hostile environments like border zones, high-altitude areas, and counter-insurgency theatres. Graduates from Tekanpur are deployed not only with the BSF but also with other CAPFs, state police forces, and even friendly foreign nations.

The centre has produced several award-winning dogs that have excelled in national-level police duty meets. It has so far trained 5448 dogs and 9473 dog handlers. (ANI)