The Union Budget 2020-21 allocation for the Special Protection Group (SPG) has increased to around Rs 600 crore, from what was Rs 540 crore last time.

According to the Budget document, the SPG has been allocated Rs 592.5 crore for FY21.

Currently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only person protected by the SPG which reportedly consists of around 3,000 personnel.

In November 2019, SPG protection for Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was withdrawn. SPG protection for former prime minister Manmohan Singh had been withdrawn in August 2019.

The SPG Act was revised in 2019 to include only the prime ministers — incumbent and former — and their immediate families living with them, would get SPG protection for five years after leaving office.

SPG was formed in 1985 to protect prime ministers — a year after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated. Its protection was extended to include the entire Gandhi family after the assassination of then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.