Context

• A parliamentary panel has recommended that the post of Director-General and other senior positions in Central Armed Police Forces should not be reserved for Indian Police Service officers.

Details

• The panel has suggested that the nature of duty of CAPF are more similar to that of the Armed Forces and it would make more sense to bring more officers from the Armed Forces on deputation.
• Currently, the DG rank in CAPFs is “100% reserved for IPS officers.”

About Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)

• The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) refers to uniform nomenclature of seven security forces in India under the authority of Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Seven security forces
• Assam Rifles (AR)
  • The Assam Rifles is the oldest of paramilitary force of India.
  • They perform many roles including the provision of internal security under the control of the army through the conduct of counter insurgency and border security operations, provision of aid to the civil power in times of emergency, and the provision of communications, medical assistance and education in remote areas.
• Border Security Force (BSF)
  • The Border Security Force (BSF) is the primary border defence organisation of India.
  • It is charged with guarding India’s land border during peacetime and preventing transnational crime.
  • It currently stands as the world’s largest border guarding force. BSF has been termed as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories.
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
  • The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the largest of India’s Central Armed Police Forces.
  • The CRPF’s primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and counter insurgency.
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
  • The CISF provides security cover to 300 industrial units, government infrastructure projects and facilities and establishments located all over India. Industrial sectors like atomic power plants, space installations, mints, oil fields and refineries, major ports, heavy engineering, steel plants, barrages, fertilliser units, airports and hydroelectric/thermal power plants owned and controlled by Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), and currency note presses producing Indian currency are protected by CISF.
  • It thereby covers installations all over India straddling a variety of terrain and climatic conditions.
  • CISF also provides consultancy services to private industries as well as other organisations within the Indian government.
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
  • The ITBP was intended for deployment along India’s border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.
• National Security Guard (NSG)
  • It is raised for combating terrorist activities with a view to protect states against internal disturbances.
• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
  • SSB is now spread along the International border across Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
  • It is to safeguard the security of assigned borders of India and promote sense of security among the people living in border areas and to prevent trans-border crimes, smuggling and any other illegal activities.