Defence Security Corps (India)

The Defence Security Corps (DSC), previously known as Defence Department Constabulary Centre, was founded on 25 April 1947 at Mathura in Uttar Pradesh state in north India. The Defence Security Corps, with 31,000 personnel, provides security at Defence Ministry sites. The role of Defence Security Corps is to ensure the protection and security of designated Defence Installations against sabotage and pilferage. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Defence Security Corps (DSC) provide security at Indian Ordnance Factories, India's nuclear laboratories and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) establishments, respectively. The CISF is purely a civilian Central government security force and though the DSC is a force under the Ministry of Defence and it comprises mainlysuperannuated soldiers who are re-employed for a few years.

On 3 May 1947, the centre moved to Delhi. The DSC was formed in the form of a semi-police force with police titles and badges of ranks. In 1948, these were replaced with military titles and badges of ranks.

In August 1958, the Corps was re-organised and brought under the control of Indian Army Headquarters. The DSC and Records moved from Delhi to Chakrata in Uttar Pradesh (Presently in Uttarakhand) in April 1959 and then to Kannur on 21 November 1961.

Today, the DSC Centre and DSC Records is located in Kannur town, on the road to Payyambalam Beach. The area is a part of the Cannanore Cantonment and is well-maintained by the Cantonment Board. The DSC centre at Kannur is the mother depot to all platoons in the country.

The centre imparts training to ex-service personnel of the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force and Territorial Army and recruits them to various agencies under the Army, Navy, Air Force and Territorial Army and to the Directorate General of Ordnance Factories and Directorate General of Research and Development.