Inside NSG | National Geographic

Summary

The video highlights the rigorous training and operations of India's elite National Security Guard (NSG) commandos, also known as Black Cat Commandos. Formed to tackle terrorism, these commandos undergo intensive training at the NSG campus, mastering skills like counter-terror tactics, hostage rescue, bomb disposal, and more. The documentary showcases the dedication and resilience of these warriors as they prepare to serve and protect India from various threats. Their journey involves facing extreme physical and mental challenges as they earn the prestigious black uniform and become part of an eminent force marked by bravery and sacrifice.

Highlights

• NSG operations include counter-terrorism, hostage rescue, and VIP protection 🔫.
• Trainees endure intense physical and mental endurance training to earn the black uniform 🥋.
• Commandos learn to operate under extreme pressure, confronting fears and hardship 🚀.
• The NSG uses advanced technology to ensure top-tier readiness and response capabilities 🤖.
• The Black Cat Commandos are celebrated heroes, their dedication and sacrifices honored by the nation 🌟.

Key Takeaways

• NSG stands as India's premier force against terrorism, confronting challenges on land, sea, and air 🛡️.
• Commandos undergo grueling training that pushes them beyond their limits, transforming them into elite warriors 🎯.
• The force is renowned for operations like 26/11, where their bravery became legendary 🇮🇳.
• The use of state-of-the-art technology and equipment enhances their tactical capabilities and effectiveness ⚙️.
• Emotional and mental fortitude are crucial as commandos persist through rigorous stress tests and harsh conditions 💪.

Overview

The National Security Guard (NSG), known as Black Cat Commandos, stands as a formidable force in India's defense against terrorism. These elite commandos are crafted through a rigorous and exhaustive training regimen, as captured by National Geographic. The documentary offers an inside look at their life-transforming journey into becoming one of the most sought-after forces, marked by their prowess and dedication.

Commencing with the selection process, NSG training includes the three-month Commando conversion course followed by six weeks of unit-specific training. Prospective commandos face extreme physical trials and mental stress tests, refining their proficiency in weaponry, tactical operations, and decision-making under pressure. This comprehensive training equips them to handle high-risk operations, including counter-hijacking and bomb disposal units.

NSG’s storied legacy is preserved through each commando, their identities intertwined with heroism and sacrifice. Whether tackling real-world terrorism, protecting high-profile dignitaries, or meticulously preparing for the unpredictable, their stories of valor continue to inspire the nation. Through state-of-the-art technology and an enduring spirit, the NSG remains ever vigilant and ready to guard the country from threats.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 10:00: Introduction of NSG The chapter titled 'Introduction of NSG' appears to be an introductory section about the National Security Guard (NSG) in India. The transcript provides an indication of audio cues suggesting the presence of background music, possibly indicating a formal or serious topic concerning India's confrontation with terrorism. The content likely introduces the role and significance of the NSG in handling terrorism-related challenges in India. Specific details about the approach or strategies used by NSG, however, are not provided in the transcript.
• 10:00 - 20:00: The Training Begins The chapter 'The Training Begins' likely opens with a grave situation where all other options have failed, leaving one organization as the last line of defense. This organization is noted for its readiness to face danger head-on, whether on land, in the air, or at sea. Despite the risk of being the first to face the threat, their commitment to protection and duty highlights their crucial role. This sets the tone for the training, emphasizing the seriousness and the high stakes involved in their mission.
• 20:00 - 30:00: Advanced Training and Induction The chapter titled 'Advanced Training and Induction' discusses the rigorous process of bringing together Commandos from various forces within India, such as the police, central armed police forces, and the army, to form the national security guard. Their reputation for excellence has been achieved through significant blood and sacrifice.
• 30:00 - 40:00: Stress and Endurance Tests The chapter titled 'Stress and Endurance Tests' discusses the rigorous training undergone by the black cat commandos at the NSG campus. These commandos are hailed as some of India's greatest heroes for their efforts in combating terrorism.
• 40:00 - 50:00: Counterterrorism and Specialized Training The chapter titled 'Counterterrorism and Specialized Training' begins with a reference to various battlefields across the country, highlighting notable events in public memory, especially the 26/11 attacks. It underscores the ultimate sacrifice made by the Commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) during this infamous terrorist incident. The chapter likely continues to elaborate on counterterrorism efforts and training specialized to such scenarios.
• 50:00 - 60:00: Becoming Black Cat Commandos This chapter discusses the legacy of the Black Cat Commandos at the National Security Guard (NSG), highlighting the significance of artifacts like a sofa from the Taj Hotel in Mumbai. The narrative reflects on the battle during the 26/11 attacks, with reminders of the fierce combat that took place, symbolized by bullet-ridden objects.
• 60:00 - 75:00: Induction Completion and Legacy The chapter begins by setting a reflective tone with the mention of a past induction day of an NSG Commando. The narrative is steeped in tradition and reverence, highlighted by the leader's words that emphasize the weight of history and sacrifice. Seated on a sofa regarded as the 'cradle of sacrifice', the protagonist is reminded of the legacy he is now a part of, triggering a sense of duty and honor intrinsic to his new role.

Inside NSG | National Geographic Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 [Music] [Music] when India confronts ter
• 00:30 - 01:00 error and all other options run out one organization is called upon as the last resort they know that they could catch the first bullet in the air land or water but they will protect
• 01:00 - 01:30 their reputation is hard-earned with blood and sacrifice these are Commandos that come together from the different forces of India the police the central armed police forces the army they are the national security guard
• 01:30 - 02:00 [Music] [Music] from the NSG campus have emerged some of the greatest heroes of India the black cat Commandos who have fought Terror in many
• 02:00 - 02:30 battlefields across the country of these perhaps the most prominent in public memory is 2611 and the Supreme sacrifice made by Commandos of the NSG there
• 02:30 - 03:00 Legacy is protected at NSG even today this sofa was recovered from the Taj Hotel in Mumbai where some of the fiercest fighting of 2611 took place as a new entrance to the national security guard prenit toer stands humbled in front of the bullet-ridden reminders of that battle
• 03:00 - 03:30 [Music] his first day as an NSG Commando began on this very sofa he recalls those events and the words of his commanding [Music] officer the place that you are sitting is it's a we call it cradle of sacrifice when you sitting here you must realize that you you are guarding a legacy
• 03:30 - 04:00 but becoming a black cat Commando is not for the faint of heart NSG pushes its men to go beyond the brink beyond the levels of human endurance beyond their deepest fears
• 04:00 - 04:30 these training grounds of NSG turn men into lethal weapons it is here that they learn to fight and how to win
• 04:30 - 05:00 three times a year the national security guard conducts trials for new Commandos pren toer is among the many hoping to get selected I'm on my way to join the training center NSG and there my 3 months provision will start only if he makes it through the 12we Commando conversion course and then a further six weeks of unit induction can he earn the black uniform of the
• 05:00 - 05:30 NSG I belong to aliger where I was born and brought up and done my schooling there uh education wise I'm a mechanical engineer I'm a I've done my engineering from malar Muslim University NSG draws its Manpower from the police Army and paramilitary forces the almost 800 candidates trying out are all experienced and toughest
• 05:30 - 06:00 Personnel they will have to be if they intend to qualify for one of the toughest Commando courses in the world the screening we week is crucial
• 06:00 - 06:30 half these candidates will be eliminated within this period itself and not even make it to the thre month Commando conversion [Music] course toor is lucky he meets up with acquaintances on the first day itself
• 06:30 - 07:00 the first week reveals how competitive entering NSG is the training center of national security guard is a premier Training Institute of the country which is mandated to train probation ERS drawn
• 07:00 - 07:30 from the Indian army and various Central armed police forces for induction into the National Security C the energy has got set physical standards you clear them you will be a part of energy I I will be very honest that I was not very sure of it but I did clear them aside from physical tests firearm proficiency is also
• 07:30 - 08:00 crucial I was given insas rifle and we were made to fire from 25 M I made a group of 3 cm from IND the screen industry toer makes the grade to start the course there is a filtration or an screening test which takes place and there are a lot of Commandos who are not able to pass at the screening stage itself and then perforce we have to send them back NSG is a force that deals
• 08:00 - 08:30 specifically with terrorism in all its forms at the National Security Guard headquarters the senior most officer is the director General parties started in the morning NSG is the Premier Urban anti-terror force of India and we are called upon to carry out operations which are of extremely critical nature the primary role of NSG is as a
• 08:30 - 09:00 anti-terror force to deal with Terror in all its manifestations in some respects that's why it's called as the force of Last Resort and moreover by our very definition as a federal contingency Force we are expected to do operations which are extremely of serious nature when there is a serious threat to National Security as such the NSG campus at moner is spread across about 1600 Acres
• 09:00 - 09:30 across its many training grounds counterterror tactics are practiced and perfected these Innovative Commandos train without most of the equipment other Commandos use they practice parkour as a technique to enter buildings when conventional Ingress is difficult NSG is not only based here in mon sir there are Regional hubs across the country
• 09:30 - 10:00 wherever they are located the national security guard has become like a well-oiled [Music] machine the one week screening test is over only about half the men qualify for the Commando conversion course candidate toer is Among The Chosen Few they wear the uniforms of their parents
• 10:00 - 10:30 units different colors and badges show the diversity of the forces that enter NSG NSG is a very happy mix of the best elements of the army the paramilitary and the police but this is a unique experiment where you have a good mix of all three and that's I think ultimately the USP of this organization at any SG there is little
• 10:30 - 11:00 time to waste a short welcome address and the men are marched off after the opening it we were made to see what all weapons we will be using and what on what all weapons we'll be given training on being a counterterrorism force the weapons used at NSG are state-of-the-art comparable to the best special force units across the world we knew that the training is going to start from today and we knew that there's going to be some sort of welcome
• 11:00 - 11:30 for us at NSG welcome has an entirely different meaning for an aspiring Commando NSG veterans call it the ice breaking crawling push-ups I don't know what I what not I did that day and I think it went on for like 2 3 hours the icebreaking is only a taste of things to come from this point on the commander conversion course will begin in Earnest
• 11:30 - 12:00 for the remaining 11 weeks toor and the other trainees will be pushed to the brink NSG is divided into three main pillars the counter Terror Force consists of units that handled terrorism in any scenario this includes counter hijack and hostage Rescue Mission on land sea
• 12:00 - 12:30 or air the close protection Force protects select VIPs across India the third pillar is the state-of-the-art bomb detection and Disposal Squad and the national bomb data center all of nsg's operations are fraught with danger the close protection forces work is no exception they protect high-risk VIPs at extreme risk to the El earning them the nickname the bullet
• 12:30 - 13:00 catchers the word bullet catchers originates from the team's unparallel ability to interpose themselves between the that and the proty while neutralizing the that as safety and well-being of the Commando is our variety our team is equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry and specialized equipments we also continuously focus on enhancing our performance and getting our capabilities to stay ahead of any
• 13:00 - 13:30 Potential Threat which may come in future the close protection Force Commandos are well aware of the dangers of their job so they ensure that any threat is neutralized before the situation goes out of hand the men have survive the rigorous 12weeks Commando conversion course and are ready for induction in into the different Departments of the NSG toer is
• 13:30 - 14:00 allotted one of the Premier counter Terror units this unit has been decorated with three asoke chakras that is the highest gallantry award during the peace time and so I opted for it and I was just lucky enough to get it also the upcoming 6 weeks of counterterrorism unit training will make the past 3 months seem like a c walk
• 14:00 - 14:30 specialist Elite counterterror
• 14:30 - 15:00 [Music] this training officer and his team would be responsible for their induction over the next 6 weeks so how well were you performing in Training Center I was performing well sir I cleared all my test and excellent sir so I hope you know here the standards are much different and much higher so the level of physical exertion is a lot more here
• 15:00 - 15:30 you'll be uh tested on much difficult grounds sir and you'll have to push yourself harder here it J among the first lessons taught at a counter Terror unit is how to be part of an intervention team each team consists of about six members working in perfect synchronicity
• 15:30 - 16:00 a single intervention team is the first building block of any counter teror Force each member is also a specialist in one particular skill demolitions Communications medicine sniper Marksmanship among other skills they are generally supported by a dog and Handler from the NSG K9 squat each team member carries over 20
• 16:00 - 16:30 kilos of Kit and protective gear into battle in the first week the inductees are drilled in various intervention simulations
• 16:30 - 17:00 their every move is closely watched by their training officer throwing new surprises at every turn a can of tear gas is a new challenge tear gas causes intense irritation in
• 17:00 - 17:30 the eyes and a bad burning sensation on the skin they were they did exceptionally well trust me I mean they nobody ran you know this whole group is good that way later that afternoon their training officer opens a can of tear gas for toer it's the first time he's holding a weapon of this nature
• 17:30 - 18:00 but it won't be the last the NSG training regimen is rigorous and not just for two-legged Commandos there is an entire contingent on four legs the K9 dog Squad NSG soldiers are called Black Cat Commandos here black cats and dogs are in Partnership K9 Commando Google believes that he is as good on two legs as his
• 18:00 - 18:30 Handler Google is a highly trained sniffer dog and used to detect explosives in the overhead luggage rack of aircrafts but it is the Belgian melano that NSG prefers while going into operations this is drona the K9 dog Squad star
• 18:30 - 19:00 Commando drona is the first Commando into action drona is now a senior in the K9 Squad and like humans he also uses technology to improve his Commando
• 19:00 - 19:30 skills the team relies on the K9 visual system that the dog wears the goggles provide the Handler a visual of what drona sees the Handler speaks to drona through a device in the dog's ear back in this second exercise drona will go
• 19:30 - 20:00 out a visual sight of his Handler to hunt down a Target almost a kilometer away right go go go go drona is the full package among the best weapons of the NSG coming up the inductees are pushed to the limits of human endurance
• 20:00 - 20:30 sleeplessness pain and exhaustion takes a toll
• 20:30 - 21:00 in the vast national security guard training grounds Commandos perfect counter terrorism tactics NSG has the only counter hijack force in India their Commandos practice hijack scenarios in the oncampus aircraft timing is Paramount fit move MIT move over it can make the difference between life
• 21:00 - 21:30 and death during real operations go coordination with extreme Precision that's the key aside from Airline hijacking there are other threats that can come from the sky
• 21:30 - 22:00 drones can disrupt air travel they also can deliver narcotics and explosives payloads or assist an attack or surveillance 81 drone in range 81 Engage The NSG has the Commandos and equipment to counter such
• 22:00 - 22:30 tactics the Drone killer weapon system does not fire bullets but emits invisible radio waves it will neutralize a variety of unmanned aerial Vehicles down over the NSG top brass constantly reviews the technological preparedness of the for
• 22:30 - 23:00 Force they ensure that counterterror activities are supported by the right kit NSG does operations which require specialized Weaponry special equipment and also special protective gain so we have to keep ourselves really updated on the kind of equipment we have today NSG is equipped and prepared for diverse combat scenarios although it is The Man Behind The
• 23:00 - 23:30 Machine always that matters but equipment plays also plays a very critical role that small nanc difference or that small extra effort it can uh in times of combat it can mean the difference between life and death so his operational effectiveness gets enhanced his confidence increases and his capabilities to fight also get greatly increased when he is armed with the best possible equipment so that when they go out to fight for the country they do not lack anything that is required by them
• 23:30 - 24:00 the induction training at the NSG counterterrorism Force has gone into overdrive the trainers are turning on the heat oral the first challenge for the inductees is to be put under physical and mental stress for 48 hours nonstop they are given various tasks throughout the day 1 2 3 4 5 6 even the whole night is
• 24:00 - 24:30 spent active the next morning the men have been without sleep for 24 hours and they still have 24 hours to go despite feeling tired I was excited about our nextest task firing the sniper rifle but our instructors were meant to put us under stress so before we fired they made us do 50 knuckle
• 24:30 - 25:00 push-ups this was the first time in my life that I was going to fire a sniper rifle L I wanted to get it right bar but I was still breathless and panting after the push-ups the slightest Shake will affect the shot and targets are usually far away in this case it was at 400 m [Music]
• 25:00 - 25:30 and it was such a happy moment I really felt a sense of achievement but honestly at that time I could only focus on the next 23 hours of stress that was coming our way snipers are essential in the NSG Arsenal these are highly trained Marksman who can hit pinpoint targets at
• 25:30 - 26:00 extremely long distances sometimes up to a kilometer away state-of-the-art shooting ranges at NSG turn Commandos into crack shots targets an NSG depict a terrorist hiding behind a hostage
• 26:00 - 26:30 it's little wonder that the NSG is called the zero error [Music] Force meanwhile the inductees continue with the 48 hour stress test by midm morning of the second day they are flipping tires in 40 plus de heat I don't know how much that tire be but believe me after a sleepless night
• 26:30 - 27:00 flipping it for almost 800 M was hard it was difficult to think that I had still over 20 hours to go but in moments like this I feel it's best to just focus on the next task and not to let your mind run and Panic by the evening the men are allowed a short break keeping our body fit during the training is very
• 27:00 - 27:30 important and I personally feel that taking care of our feet is of utmost importance because 90% of the time during training our shoes are on and with all that sweat and dirt so whenever I get time I just take off my shoes change my socks and wash my feet [Music]
• 27:30 - 28:00 this human body is a magical thing it can really be pushed and it can do Wonders by the second night we were so exhausted but all of us were still going for it honestly those memories just fade in and out of my mind I can't even remember most of the things
• 28:00 - 28:30 I just know that our instructors kept the scenario as real and difficult as possible it is crazy but it's it is it is very close to reality if it happens for real this is going to be the case
• 28:30 - 29:00 when you put under these conditions I think these thoughts can come to anybody's mind Breaking Point what is the limit give up but I think to be a Commando you have to be able to uh shut out these sords you have to be a fighter so now we're putting them through this
• 29:00 - 29:30 phase that we call stress hours uh the main aim is to not let them sleep where they given a limited amount of time in which they can you know have their dinner in which they want they can take time out for you know some recovery where they can take a 5 minute or 10 minutes and half these are the times I miss my family my
• 29:30 - 30:00 sister had a first child whom I've not even seen yet and also my bike I miss my bike I really wish I had my bike here so that and I wish I had more free time so that I can could go out for a bike ride I really miss that by 300 hours early morning the exercises Begin Again
• 30:00 - 30:30 47 hours of stress conquered 1 hour to go one full hour of physical training you somehow find whatever reserves in the body and you don't you can't think about giving up you only think about getting the job done [Music]
• 30:30 - 31:00 [Music] coming up the men reach their final hurdle it's nothing but chaos in that chaos you have to have your peace of mind
• 31:00 - 31:30 the national security guard has proved itself in operations time and again this success hasn't come easily the nation has to feel confident that whenever NSG is requisitioned this force will deliver and whenever requisitioned
• 31:30 - 32:00 energy will mobilize swiftly and deliver a surgical punch with lethality the whole orientation of energy is to stay in a constant state of Readiness as we speak there are eight teams in this country which can mobilize in 30 minutes or less so that the vision of energy to be a world class zero error force is never compromised
• 32:00 - 32:30 only 2 weeks to go for the NSG counterterror Force unit induction training but there are still mountains to climb this is basically Rock craft you can see these natural wall faces it's is about good 100 to 120 ft high so uh gives them a you know natural feel of uh practicing and horning their uh uh raw craft one of the reasons men like me want to
• 32:30 - 33:00 do commando training are the different skills we get to learn at NSG I've done some planning before but these conditions were very different by late morning the temperature had gone into the 40s mid June high
• 33:00 - 33:30 [Music] humidity 31 32 33 34 so we call it toll tax the toll tax may include like 100 push-ups or 200 push-ups the purpose is basically to you know uh Tire them before they even start their tasks it's after the body is exhausted you know how well they perform the task this is uh you know what we are putting them
• 33:30 - 34:00 through that to Tex thing was really bad in the middle of an exercise you suddenly start to feel that your arms can't work anymore but since you hanging in the middle there's no choice left you've got to get to the other side Comm if you see these tasks they are physically grueling you can see on his
• 34:00 - 34:30 face that he's exhausted poor guy you know he must have done God knows how many push-ups by now and uh after the physical exhaustion when they put through it that's you know the making of the black hatat I'm impressed
• 34:30 - 35:00 man among the many units at NSG the bomb squad is special it is in charge of monitoring recording and analyzing all bombing incidents in the country the bomb squad commando's job is a difficult one even though they wear a protective suit walking up to an explosive is not an easy
• 35:00 - 35:30 task they must physically carry the explosive to a containment chamber robots minimize risk remote operators can pilot these vehicles from over a kilometer away
• 35:30 - 36:00 onboard cameras allow both reconnaissance and intervention capabilities the vehicle may be small but it packs a massive punch fire
• 36:00 - 36:30 by late June in the fifth week of the induction process the men have reached the final hurdle the instructors have saved the worst for last minimum 2 and a half 3 hours to finish the circuit because uh they won't
• 36:30 - 37:00 be walking on it they'll probably be crawling throughout the way and uh they'll be tested uh how they perform as a team so what we expect from the traine when he comes to NSG is uh very high levels of physical fitness very high levels of firing skills so we take them maybe two three notches High than when they actually joined NSG so the end
• 37:00 - 37:30 product is a extremely efficient uh Commando who is ready to meet any kind of challenge in the course of his duty tomr and team will never forget the challenge they faced that day nicknamed The Holy chamber an obstacle unlike any other the men will encounter it's a small room filled with smoke the men must hold their breath and
• 37:30 - 38:00 get inside there's a box inside all right you have to get that box that box has a key you get that box out open the box and then there'll be a map inside from which you'll be able to move for the next Target I don't know how to describe it the mind isn't complete ter oil you can't see anything and you're trying to hold your breath but the smoke does get inside you but you can't escape anyway so you'll have to fight it
• 38:00 - 38:30 the team's first attempt to find the box
• 38:30 - 39:00 was unsuccessful that means only one thing try again it's nothing but chaos but then in that chaos you have to have your peace of mind
• 39:00 - 39:30 [Music] finding that box was the most difficult hurdle after that we knew that we can do anything [Music] the six of us were now
• 39:30 - 40:00 Invincible we had done everything NSG could throw at us nothing could stop us now
• 40:00 - 40:30 it's a matter of great pride for me because you know I have pushed these guys you know beyond their limits and I've helped them test themselves how far they can go it had been a long journey to reach this point and despite the pain and tiredness we felt later that day we were still excited that now we are going to be a part of energy hard
• 40:30 - 41:00 the induction period has come to an end
• 41:00 - 41:30 4 and a half months of hardships are over it is the morning of the blackening ceremony [Music]
• 41:30 - 42:00 in a little while toer and the other men will take their places in the counter Terror force of [Music] NSG wearing black was an amazing feeling altogether [Music] I would be lying if I told you that I
• 42:00 - 42:30 was sure I would become an NSG commando but I did it alland hit exercise a major pranjit toar we were awarded the best intervention team after all the hardships it really
• 42:30 - 43:00 felt good to be acknowledged 5 weeks are over now uh the devil part of mine is gone I've done my part as a devil now you know I'm the brother brother in arms and finally with a punch on his chest toor is given the Bal Dawn badge welcome to Insignia of the black cat Commando [Music] after the ceremony we were taken to the officer mess for the first
• 43:00 - 43:30 time and what happened after that I'll never forget in my entire life the place that you are sitting is uh it's a we call it cradle of sacrifice you can look around you'll see bullet ridden souvenir that we got from Taj Hotel in Mumbai this particular chair that you're sitting on is from Palm Lounge of Taj
• 43:30 - 44:00 Hotel this is the place where major uni Krishnan made the Supreme sacrifice so when you sitting here you must realize that you have you are guarding a legacy as officers As Leaders what major uni Krishan did was taking leadership to a new height for men who achieve their dream and
• 44:00 - 44:30 become NSG Commandos induction is only the first step they now have to live up to the standards set by the Brave Hearts who have preceded [Music] them in all almost 40 Years of its
• 44:30 - 45:00 existence the national security guard has earned Glory through sacrifice and blood the men who laid down their lives Inspire every [Music] day their heroics will always be remembered by a Grateful Nation [Music]