The District Reserve Guard (DRG) is a specialized police unit and institution under the Chhattisgarh Police, formed to combat Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) or Maoist insurgency. It was initially formed in 2008 in Chhattisgarh, with its first units established in the Kanker and Narayanpur districts. The DRG was conceptualized to solve the problem of security forces lacking deep local knowledge of the tough terrain and culture in Maoist-affected areas like Bastar. Its formation was also partly a response to the Supreme Court declaring the Salwa Judum militia illegal, providing a structured role for former Special Police Officers (SPOs).
The DRG is often called the "sons of soil" because its personnel are recruited primarily from local tribal youths and surrendered Maoist cadres. This local composition provides a crucial advantage in intelligence gathering and counter-insurgency operations. Surrendered Maoists are often enlisted as 'Gopniya Sainiks' (covert police informers) before formal induction. Recruits undergo a year-long training at the state's police academy, followed by a two-month specialized course in Jungle warfare. The DRG operates in coordination with other forces like the Central Reserve Force (CRPF) and the Border Security Force (BSF).
The force has seen recent changes and expansion; it was expanded to all seven districts of the Bastar region by 2015. Related institutions include the Bastar Fighters, a similar unit formed by the state police in 2022, and the all-women commando unit Danteshwari Ladake, established within the DRG in 2019. The DRG connects to other state-level anti-Naxal units like the Grey Hounds in Andhra Pradesh/Telangana.