CAPF Bill to be tabled in Lok Sabha on March 23; to reserve 50% I-G rank posts for IPS

THe telephone exchange Armed police force Forces ( superior general governing body) greenback, 2026 which is likely to be tabled before the Lok Sabha on Monday has codified the number of IPS officers on deputation at different levels in the CAPF and brings an umbrella law with a single framework for all the five CAPFs.The move comes amid objections from CAPF associations which have objected to the longstanding practice of appointing IPS officers brought on deputation to senior roles.The associations had also approached the Supreme Court, which on May 23, 2025 ordered the government to ‘progressively reduce’ the number of IPS officers up to the rank of inspector generals in the CAPFs.But the government stated in the bill that IPS officers are necessary for effective functioning and coordination between the Centre and State.“Central Armed Police Forces perform functions of national security in close coordination with State authorities; and in the interest of maintaining Centre-State relationship and ensuring close coordination between the Union and the States, the Indian Police Service Officers are necessary for effective functioning of these forces,” the statement of object and reasons of the draft bill said.Also Read: Centre to deploy 480 CAPF companies for West Bengal assembly electionsCodifying the deputation of IPS officers, the draft bill mandates 67% of posts at the Additional Director General (ADG) to be filled by IPS officers on deputation, 50% in the level of inspector generals (IG) and 100% in the ranks of special director general (SDG) and director general (DG).“In case of any inconsistency between any rule made under this Act with any other rule or Order, whether made or issued before or after the commencement of this Act, the rules made under this Act shall prevail,” the draft bill said.On Friday, the members of the Alliance of All Ex Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association held a press conference urging that the draft bill be sent to the Parliamentary Committee on Home Affairs for consultation.HR Singh, a former additional director general (ADG) of the CRPF, who was a cadre officer, and is a member of the alliance said, “If the government has decided to introduce a bill to circumvent the Supreme Court judgment, that bill should at least be sent to the Parliamentary Committee. Feedback should be taken from all stakeholders.”The retired CAPF officers have argued that due to the career stagnation and induction of IPS officers from outside, few non-IPS officers reach the level of Additional Director General(ADG) in CAPFs. For example, all four sanctioned ADG posts in BSF are filled by IPS officers from the 1995-97 batches. The senior most BSF cadre officer, from the 1987 batch, is still an IG. In the ITBP, none of the three ADG rank posts are filled by the CAPF cadre. In the CISF, three of the four ADGs are IPS officers. The heads of all five CAPFs – Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, Sashastra Seema Bal and Central Industrial Security Force, themselves are IPS officers;The former CAPF officials have protested the bill saying that it will be a discrimination against the CAPF officers, who legally won the case in the Supreme Court.Over the past week, many opposition leaders spoke in the Parliament urging the government not to introduce the bill and instead implement the Supreme Court judgment on conducting a cadre review of Group A officers in the CAPFs, reducing the deputation of IPS officers and devising recruitment and service rules for the Group A officers in the CAPF.“The Indian Police Service is an All India Service, and the officers of the Service are posted in the Union and the States. Historically, Indian Police Service officers are an integral and important part of the Central Armed Police Forces, who have been serving on deputation along with officers and members of these Forces. The Central Armed Police Forces perform functions relating to national security and anti-insurgency in close coordination with the State authorities. Therefore, in the interest of maintaining Centre-State relations by ensuring close coordination between the Union and the States for effective operational functioning, it is essential to maintain the existing system of deputation of the Indian Police Service Officers in the Central Armed Police Forces,” the statement of object and reasons in the bill said.The draft bill also stated that in recent years, the absence of an umbrella law has caused regulatory provisions to evolve in a fragmented manner resulting in several service-related litigations and causing functional and administrative difficulties.“Considering the nature and purposes of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and to avoid unnecessary litigations, there is a need to lay down an umbrella law to regulate the recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of services of Group A General Duty Officers and other officers appointed in these Central Armed Police Forces and other rules regarding these Forces, to ensure legislative clarity, preserving their distinct operational and functional requirements and harmonising judicial directions with administrative and federal requirements,” it said.