MD. TARIQUL ISLAM: creating a entry

2026-01-07T18:12:18Z

creating a entry

New page

{{Short description|Elite police unit in Odisha, India}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
|agencyname = Special Operation Group <br /> SOG
|abbreviation =
|logo =
|formedyear = {{ubl|{{start date|df=yes|2004|08|21}}|({{years ago|2004}} years ago)}}
|formedmonthday =
|employees = 3,000
|budget =
|nongovernment =
|country = India
|local =
|speciality1 =
|divtype = State
|divname = Odisha
|map = India_Orissa_locator_map.svg
|mapcaption = Map of Odisha Police Department's jurisdiction
|sizearea = {{convert|60160|sqmi|km2}}
|sizepopulation = 41,947,358
|parentagency = [[Odisha Police]]
|child1agency = [[Special Tactical Unit|Special Tactical Unit (STU)]]
|child2agency = [[District Voluntary Force|District Voluntary Force (DVF)]]
|headquarters = [[Cuttack]], [[Odisha]]
|website =
|footnotes = As of July 2018
}}
The '''Odisha Special Operations Group''' or the '''Odisha SOG''', is an elite anti-insurgency [[police tactical unit]] of the [[Odisha Police]], primarily focused on tackling [[Left-wing terrorism|Left Wing Extremism]] (LWE), commonly known as [[Naxalism]], and conducting high-risk tactical operations in the state’s interior and forested regions. that specialized in quick response to emergencies with SWAT unit tactics especially in mountainous forest areas. It was raised by the [[Odisha Police]] to combat the left-wing extremists in the state.

SOG, are actively involved in intensified anti-Naxal operations in forested and hard-to-access areas, often in joint missions with forces like the CRPF, the BSF, and the [[District Voluntary Force|District Voluntary Force (DVF)]]. This includes combing and search operations in jungle terrain, based on intelligence inputs, to locate and neutralise Maoist rebels. Recent coordinated operations have seen successful encounters with Maoist cadres, including neutralizing senior commanders and conducting joint operations over multiple days.<ref>{{cite web|title=Odisha on Verge of Eradicating Naxalism: Amit Shah|url=https://pragativadi.com/odisha-on-verge-of-eradicating-naxalism-amit-shah/|publisher=[[Pragativadi]]|date=25 December 2025|accessdate=25 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Odisha Police appeal to people not to shelter injured Maoists, intensifies operations in jungle|url=https://www.satp.org/terrorism-update/odisha-police-appeal-to-people-not-to-shelter-injured-maoists-intensifies-operations-in-jungle|publisher=South Asia Terrorism Portal|date=27 December 2025|accessdate=27 December 2025}}</ref>

==History==
The SOG was raised under the [[Odisha Police]] in August 2004 with the central objective of neutralizing extremist and insurgent groups within the state as part of broader internal security strategy. It was modelled to operate in challenging terrains, especially in dense forests where Left Wing Extremist activities were prevalent, drawing inspiration from similar counter-insurgency units in other states. The force has been integral to anti-Maoist efforts over the last two decades, participating in numerous combing operations and joint missions with other security agencies.<ref name=memo33019>{{cite web|title=Formation of Special Operation Group (SOG) in the State to deal with extremist and terrorist activities - creation of posts thereof|url=http://homeorissa.gov.in/Police%20Administration/Creation/2004/33019-21.08.2004.pdf|publisher=[[Government of Odisha]]|accessdate=24 September 2013|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101009065615/homeorissa.gov.in/Police%20Administration/Creation/2004/33019-21.08.2004.pdf|archivedate=2010-10-09}}</ref>

==Mission==
The primary mission of the SOG is to counteract extremist and terrorist elements within [[Odisha]], particularly Maoist groups, by carrying out targeted operations, reconnaissance, and area dominance measures. It is tasked with conducting proactive counter-insurgency actions, safeguarding vulnerable areas, and supporting wider security planning aimed at eliminating LWE influence in the state. These missions are oriented toward achieving the national and state goal of eradicating Naxalism by government deadlines through coordinated force application.

==Organisation==

===Headquarters===
*Odisha State Police Headquarters, [[Cuttack]]
*Odisha Special Intelligence Wing (SIW), [[Bhubaneswar]]
The Special Operation Group has its Training-cum-resource centre at Chandaka in Bhubaneswar. They have a staff strength of about 1800 commandos, constituted into teams of 20-25 commandos. Each unit is self-reliant and can operate combat patrol deep inside jungle and mountain for days in search of armed extremists. The teams of SOG operate either in single team or in multiple teams depending on the scale of the operation launched. They carry the insignia of tusker and call themselves 'Kalinga Tuskers', though the use of the name 'Kalinga Tusker' is not very well known. Their motto is 'Kalingaha Sahasika', which translates roughly as 'Brave Kalinga'.

===Training===
Prior to the establishment of its own centralised training complex, SOG personnel underwent specialised instruction through structured field training, including [[Jungle warfare|jungle warfare]], tactical drills, and [[Guerrilla warfare|guerrilla combat]] techniques, often with assistance from army and other specialised units. While news reports focus on the newer facilities, older operational context suggests that fieldcraft and combat readiness have always been integral to the unit’s ethos.

Special Operations Group (SOG) does not recruit personnel through direct public entry recruitment. Instead, the force selects police personnel internally from within the Odisha Police structure, including members of the civil police, the Odisha Special Armed Police (OSAP) battalions, and Indian Reserve (IR) battalions. The report notes that postings to the SOG are through an internal selection process rather than through a public exam route and that police personnel beyond about 35 years of age are generally not inducted into the SOG, owing to the physically demanding nature of its counter-insurgency duties.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Police Circular order No. 375/2018 | url=https://odishapolice.gov.in/sites/default/files/PDF/PCO-375.PDF | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930152616/https://odishapolice.gov.in/sites/default/files/PDF/PCO-375.PDF | archive-date=2020-09-30}}</ref>

In December 2025, a state-of-the-art Training-cum-Briefing Centre and a Counter-Terrorism Training Complex was inaugurated, designed to train up to 400 personnel at a time and enhance the unit’s tactical capabilities for both anti-insurgent and broader counter-terrorism missions.

==Functions==
The SOG performs a range of operational and tactical duties central to Odisha’s internal security framework. As part of the [[Counterinsurgency|Counter Insurgency Operations]], the SOG leads field actions against LWE/Maoist elements in forested and remote areas, working with CRPF and other forces to locate and neutralise threats. SOG engages in high-risk specialised tactical operations that can involve ambushes, targeted combing, and decisive engagements where conventional units are less effective. SOG combines its effort with intelligence wings and other security agencies for coordinated force application based on actionable intelligence.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cops intensify search for Maoists in Odisha forest|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/cops-intensify-search-for-maoists-in-odisha-forests/articleshow/121699068.cms|publisher=[[The Times of India]]|date=8 June 2025|accessdate=8 June 2025}}</ref>

==Honours==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border:1px solid; font-size:90%;"
|-
! Awardee
! Award
! Decoration
! Year
! Event
|-
| [[Pramod Kumar Satapathy]] <br /> (Posthumous)
| [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]]
| [[File:Ashoka Chakra ribbon.svg|150px]]
| 2009
| [[Republic Day (India)]]
|-
| [[Debashish Sethy]] <br /> (Posthumous)
| [[Shaurya Chakra]]
| [[File:Shaurya Chakra ribbon.svg|150px]]
| 2021
| [[Independence Day (India)]]
|-
| Sudhir Kumar Tudu <br /> (Posthumous)
| [[Shaurya Chakra]]
| [[File:Shaurya Chakra ribbon.svg|150px]]
| 2021
| [[Independence Day (India)]]
|}

==See also==
* [[Special Tactical Unit]] ([[Odisha Police]])
* [[District Voluntary Force]] ([[Odisha Police]])
* [[Counter Insurgency Force]] ([[West Bengal Police]])
* [[Greyhounds (Police)]] ([[Andhra Pradesh Police]])
* [[Kerala Thunderbolts]] ([[Kerala Thunderbolts]])
* [[Naxalite–Maoist insurgency]]
* [[Operation Green Hunt]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Law enforcement agencies of India}}

[[Category:Non-military counterterrorist organizations]]
[[Category:Non-military counterinsurgency organizations]]
[[Category:Odisha Police]]
[[Category:Counterterrorism in India]]
[[Category:Specialist law enforcement agencies of India]]
[[Category:2004 establishments in Orissa]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 2004]]

Special Operation Group (Odisha) - Revision history

MD. TARIQUL ISLAM: creating a entry