Central Armed Police Forces
Encyclopedia
The Central Armed Police Forces are the following eight police forces of the central government of India
:
These forces were frequently referred to as "paramilitary forces" until 2011, when the government gave new official definitions which restricted the use of that term. They are also compared to India’s various State Armed Police Forces
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
:
- Central Reserve Police ForceCentral Reserve Police ForceThe Central Reserve Police Force also known as CRPF is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces. It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain...
: The largest of the Central Armed Police Forces. 300,000 personnel (210+35 battalions) The Central Reserve Police include the Rapid Action ForceRapid Action ForceThe Rapid Action Force is a specialised wing of the Indian CRPF . It was established on 11 December 1991 and became fully operational in October 1992, to deal with riots & related unrest...
, a 10 battalion anti-riot force trained to respond to sectarian violence, and the Commando Battalion for Resolute ActionCommando Battalion for Resolute ActionCOBRA is a specialized unit of the CRPF created to counter the Naxalite problem in India. This specialized CRPF unit is one of the only units of the Central Armed Police Forces in the country who are specifically trained in guerilla warfare...
(COBRA), a 10,000 strong anti-NaxaliteNaxaliteThe word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes...
force. - Border Security ForceBorder Security ForceThe Border Security Force is a border patrol agency of the Government of India. Established on December 1, 1965, it is one of the Central Armed Police Forces. Its primary role is to guard India's international borders during peacetime and also prevent transnational crime...
(BSF) for manning the land borders of the country, except in the mountains. 215,000 personnel (186 Battalions) (Headed by Indian Police ServiceIndian Police ServiceThe Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
Officer) - Indo-Tibetan Border PoliceIndo-Tibetan Border PoliceThe Indo-Tibetan Border Police is an Indian force conceived on October 24, 1962 for security along the India's border with the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, border covering 2115 kilometres...
(ITBP) for manning the border with Tibet in the Himalayas. 73,000 (55 Battalions+18000 personnel) (Headed by Indian Police ServiceIndian Police ServiceThe Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
Officer) - Sashastra Seema BalSashastra seema balSashastra Seema Bal or SSB is one of India's Central Armed Police Forces. It is often referred to as a paramilitary force...
(SSB) for guarding the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan Borders. 86,000 personnel. - Central Industrial Security ForceCentral Industrial Security ForceThe Central Industrial Security Force is a Central Armed Police Force in India.It was set up under an Act of the Parliament of India on March 10, 1969 with a strength of 2,800. CISF was subsequently made an armed force of the Union of India by another Act of Parliament passed on June 15, 1983. Its...
(CISF). 165,000 personnel (132 Battalions) - Railway Protection ForceRailway Protection ForceThe Railway Protection force is an Indian Central Armed Police Force charged with protecting the Indian Railways.The strength of RPF is about 65,000.The duties of the Railway Protection Force include:...
(RPF) known for protecting the railways of India and ensuring safety of citizens in trains. - National Security GuardsNational Security GuardsThe National Security Guard is a Special Response Unit in India that has primarily been utilized for counter-terrorism activities and was created by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of the Indian Parliament in 1986...
(NSG). 8636 personnel (including 1086 personnel for regional hubs) , one of most important police organizations in India (Headed by Indian Police ServiceIndian Police ServiceThe Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
Officer ) - Special Protection GroupSpecial Protection GroupThe Special Protection Group is the executive protection agency of the Government of India. It is responsible for the protection of the Prime Minister of India, other top officials, and their immediate families. The force was established in 1985 after the assassination of Indira Gandhi. It is one...
(SPG). 3,000 personnel providing protection to the Prime minister.
These forces were frequently referred to as "paramilitary forces" until 2011, when the government gave new official definitions which restricted the use of that term. They are also compared to India’s various State Armed Police Forces
State Armed Police Forces
The State Armed Police Forces of India are the police units for dealing with serious law and order situations requiring a higher level of armed expertise than normal. The State Armed Police Forces exist in addition to the ordinary police services of the various states.All states have different...
.