For Prelims: National Security Guard, Counter-insurgency, Quick-response team, Administrative approval
For Mains: Security: Internal security and police capabilities; Governance: State administration and public safety
Source:
Dainik Bhaskar
5 facts for one-day exams
SSC, railway, police and teaching exams ask direct questions like these.
- The proposed Toomda training centre is in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
- The centre's estimated cost is ₹197.06 crore.
- Madhya Pradesh Police plans to prepare 250 commandos for Simhastha 2028.
- The proposed centre will train 100 personnel at a time.
- The centre is planned on the lines of National Security Guard and Greyhounds training facilities.
The news
Madhya Pradesh Police plans to train 250 commandos on the lines of the National Security Guard for the Ujjain Simhastha 2028. The commandos will be trained at a proposed Counter Insurgency and Anti-Terrorist Integrated Training Centre in Toomda, Bhopal, at a cost of ₹197.06 crore. The Chief Minister has marked the file as A+ priority, yet administrative approval remains stuck in the Home Department, which is under the Chief Minister's charge.
The technical approval and detailed project report have been finalised by the Police Housing Corporation. The full building is expected to take three years after approval, so the training section will be built in the first phase to allow field training to begin on time. After Simhastha, 50 commandos each will be posted permanently in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur, and the remaining 50 will stay at the Toomda centre. The centre will have a capacity of 100 trainees at a time and will also train personnel from the Anti-Terrorism Squad, Special Task Force, Special Armed Force and district police, and can accommodate commandos from other states if needed.
Why in the news?
The Chief Minister has marked the file as A+ priority, yet administrative approval for the ₹197.06 crore project remains stuck in the Home Department.
What is the National Security Guard model the commandos will follow?
The National Security Guard was raised in 1984 as a federal contingency force to counter specific terrorist or hijacking situations. It operates under the National Security Guard Act, 1986. Its main training centre is at Manesar, Haryana, where personnel drawn on deputation from the army and central armed police forces undergo rigorous physical and specialised counter-terrorism drills. The Greyhounds force of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which the Madhya Pradesh team also studied, was formed in 1989 as a dedicated anti-Naxalite commando unit and is known for its jungle warfare and intelligence-based operations. Both models emphasise a compact, highly mobile strike capability that can be deployed at short notice, a structure Madhya Pradesh intends to replicate for Simhastha security and beyond.
What facilities are planned at the centre?
The proposed centre will include an admin building, training centre, auditorium, magazine, armoury, indoor firing range, 24 units of other ranks accommodation, 12 units of non-gazetted officer accommodation, a hospital, hostels for 230 male and 60 female trainees, an indoor sports complex, swimming pool, director and additional director residences, officers' mess and a service block.
How will the commandos be deployed after Simhastha?
After the Simhastha event, 50 commandos each will be permanently stationed in Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior and Jabalpur, and 50 will remain at the Toomda training centre. These teams can be dispatched immediately to any location facing a serious security challenge.
Madhya Pradesh connection
Facts and terms for exams
- National Security Guard:
- The National Security Guard is a specialised Indian counter-terrorism force.
- Counter-insurgency:
- Counter-insurgency comprises measures used to address an organised armed rebellion against established authority.
- Quick-response team:
- A quick-response team is a trained group organised to respond rapidly to a security incident.
- Administrative approval:
- Administrative approval is the competent authority's formal acceptance of a proposed project for further execution.
Why it matters for exams
Exams: MPPSC, MPESB
Syllabus: Security: Internal security and police capabilities; Governance: State administration and public safety
Common mistake: Examiners may swap the planned 250 commandos with the batch capacity of 100; administrative approval is pending, not completed.
Mains question
The proposed commando training centre for Simhastha 2028 remains stuck despite A+ priority. Examine the challenges in timely execution of state-level security infrastructure projects.
Stuck? Get it in one tap
Madhya Pradesh Police plans a specialised centre to train personnel for security duties. The centre is expected to support Simhastha 2028 and later emergencies. Administrative approval is pending, and the training section is planned before the rest of the building.
- The proposed Toomda training centre is in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
- The centre's estimated cost is ₹197.06 crore.
- Madhya Pradesh Police plans to prepare 250 commandos for Simhastha 2028.
- The proposed centre will train 100 personnel at a time.
- The centre is planned on the lines of National Security Guard and Greyhounds training facilities.
- Security: Internal security and police capabilities
- Governance: State administration and public safety
Related concepts: National Security Guard, Counter-insurgency, Quick-response team, Administrative approval
Practice questions
Pick an answer, then read the explanation.
- Q1Easy
Which force is the principal Indian model for the 250 commandos planned for Ujjain Simhastha 2028?
Explanation: The proposed commandos are to be trained on the National Security Guard model. Madhya Pradesh Police is planning the centre, while the Special Task Force and Special Armed Force are among the units whose personnel may receive training there.
- Q2Hard
Consider the following statements about the proposed Toomda training centre for Simhastha 2028:
- 1.The centre is planned in Bhopal.
- 2.Administrative approval has been granted and construction is complete.
- 3.The training section is planned to be constructed in the first phase.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statements 1 and 3 are correct: Toomda is in Bhopal, and the training section is planned first. Statement 2 is incorrect because administrative approval is pending and construction has not begun.
- Q3Medium
What is the estimated cost of the proposed Toomda counter-insurgency and anti-terrorist training centre?
Explanation: The estimated project cost is ₹197.06 crore. The other figures do not match the estimate.
- Q4Medium
Why is the training section of the proposed Toomda centre planned in the first construction phase?
Explanation: The first-phase training facilities are intended to allow field training to start sooner, as the complete building is expected to take three years after approval. The centre is intended to train police personnel, including those from district units and, when needed, other states.
Frequently asked questions
1. Where is the proposed Simhastha commando training centre?
The centre is proposed at Toomda in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
2. How many commandos are planned for Ujjain Simhastha 2028?
Madhya Pradesh Police plans to prepare 250 commandos.
3. What is the capacity of the proposed Toomda training centre?
The centre is planned to train 100 personnel at a time.
4. Has the Toomda training centre received administrative approval?
Administrative approval was pending in November 2026. Construction is planned to begin after approval.
All sources
- Original13 November 2026 · Read story