Central Reserve Police Force
Encyclopedia
The Central Reserve Police Force (Devanāgarī
: केंद्रीय रिज़र्व पुलिस बल) also known as CRPF is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces
. It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs
(MHA) of the Government of India
. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and contain insurgency
. It came into existence as the Crown Representative's Police on 27 July 1939. After Indian Independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28 December 1949.
Besides Law and Order and counter-insurgency duties, the role of CRPF in the General Elections, held repeatedly during the past few years, has been very significant and vital. This is especially true for the trouble-ridden states of J&K
, Bihar
and in the North East. During the Parliamentary elections of September 1999, the CRPF played a major role in the security arrangements. Of late, CRPF contingents are also being deployed in UN missions.
With 210 battalions and various other establishments, the CRPF is considered the largest paramilitary
force in the world. Nonetheless, the CRPF does not fall under the Indian government's new definition of "Paramilitary Forces".
officer and is divided into ten administrative sectors, each headed by an Inspector General. Each Sector consists of one or more administrative and/or Operational Ranges, headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police. Now, Group Centres are also headed by DIGs.
There are 210 CRPF battalions of approximately 1200 constables each. Each battalion is commanded by an officer designated as Commandant
, and consists of seven CRPF companies, each containing 135 Men . Each company is headed by an Assistant Commandant.
The Home Ministry is planning to increase the strength of the force by adding 35 more battalions(30,000 personnel approx.) in the coming years.
officers, CRPF follows ranks and insgnia similar to other police organizations in India.
(RAF) is a specialised 10 battalion
wing of the India
n Central Reserve Police Force. It was formed in October 1992, to deal with communal riots and related civil unrest. The battalions are numbered from 99 to 108.
weapons such as:
In addition to these, CRPF also uses land mine detectors.
. The second battalion came into existence in 1996 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
and fauna
. Every year Green Force personnel plant hundreds of thousands of trees in various parts of the country.
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
: केंद्रीय रिज़र्व पुलिस बल) also known as CRPF is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces
Central Armed Police Forces
The Central Armed Police Forces are the following eight police forces of the central government of India:* Central Reserve Police Force: The largest of the Central Armed Police Forces...
. It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs (India)
Ministry of Home Affairs , known as the Home Ministry or MHA, is an Indian government ministry. It is an interior ministry mainly responsible for the maintenance of Internal security and domestic policy.-Ministerial Team:...
(MHA) of the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and contain insurgency
Insurgency
An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority when those taking part in the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents...
. It came into existence as the Crown Representative's Police on 27 July 1939. After Indian Independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28 December 1949.
Besides Law and Order and counter-insurgency duties, the role of CRPF in the General Elections, held repeatedly during the past few years, has been very significant and vital. This is especially true for the trouble-ridden states of J&K
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
and in the North East. During the Parliamentary elections of September 1999, the CRPF played a major role in the security arrangements. Of late, CRPF contingents are also being deployed in UN missions.
With 210 battalions and various other establishments, the CRPF is considered the largest paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
force in the world. Nonetheless, the CRPF does not fall under the Indian government's new definition of "Paramilitary Forces".
History
- The CRPF was derived from the CRP (Crown Representative's Police) on 27 July 1939 with 2 Battalions in Nimach, Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
. Its primary duty at the time was to protect the British residents in sensitive states of IndiaIndiaIndia , 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...
. - In 1949, the CRP was renamed under the CRPF Act. During the 1960s, many state reserve police battalions were merged with the CRPF. The CRPF has been active against foreign invasion and domestic insurgency.
- On 21 October 1959, Dy.S.P. Karam Singh and 20 soldiers were attacked by the Chinese army at Hot Springs in LadakhLadakhLadakh is a region of Jammu and Kashmir, the northernmost state of the Republic of India. It lies between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent...
resulting in 10 casualties. The survivors were imprisoned. Since then, 21 October is observed as Police Commemoration day. - During the 1965 India-Pakistan War, two companies consisting of 150 men of the 2nd Battalion of the CRPF defeated an infantry brigade consisting of 1600 men of the Pakistan ArmyPakistan ArmyThe Pakistan Army is the branch of the Pakistani Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. The Pakistan Army came into existence after the Partition of India and the resulting independence of Pakistan in 1947. It is currently headed by General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. The Pakistan...
at Kanjar Kot in Gujarat. - The CRPF guarded the India-Pakistan Border until 1965, at which point the 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...
was created for that purpose. - On 13 December 2001, the CRPF troopers killed all five terrorists who had entered the premises of the Indian Parliament at New DelhiNew DelhiNew Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. - In recent years, the Government of India has decided to follow up on recommendations of the Indian cabinet to use each security agency for its mandated purpose. As a result, the counterinsurgency operations in India has been entrusted to the CRPF.
- In 2008 a wing called COmbat Battalions for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was added to the CRPF to counter the Naxalite movementNaxaliteThe 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...
. - On September 2, 2009, 5000 CRPF soldiers were deployed for a search and rescue mission to find the then Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara ReddyY. S. Rajasekhara ReddyY.S. Rajasekhara Reddy , popularly known as YSR, was a two-time Chief Minister of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. He is seen as the most popular chief minister of Andhra pradesh. His popularity is often attributed to various welfare schemes and development programs he championed for the...
whose helicopter went missing over the Nallamalla Forest Range in Andhra Pradesh.This was the largest search operation ever mounted in India.
Current role and strength
As of [2010], the CRPF is the largest paramilitary organisation of the country and is actively looking after the internal security of every part of India and are even operating abroad as part of United Nations peacekeeping missions. It is performing a variety of duties ranging from VIP security to election duties, from guarding of vital installations to the counter naxal operations.Organization
The CRPF is headed by a Director general who is an Indian Police ServiceIndian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
officer and is divided into ten administrative sectors, each headed by an Inspector General. Each Sector consists of one or more administrative and/or Operational Ranges, headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police. Now, Group Centres are also headed by DIGs.
There are 210 CRPF battalions of approximately 1200 constables each. Each battalion is commanded by an officer designated as Commandant
Commandant
Commandant is a senior title often given to the officer in charge of a large training establishment or academy. This usage is common in anglophone nations...
, and consists of seven CRPF companies, each containing 135 Men . Each company is headed by an Assistant Commandant.
The Home Ministry is planning to increase the strength of the force by adding 35 more battalions(30,000 personnel approx.) in the coming years.
Ranks and insignia
Being a central Indian police organization and having high presence of Indian Police ServiceIndian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
officers, CRPF follows ranks and insgnia similar to other police organizations in India.
The Rapid Action Force
The Rapid Action ForceRapid Action Force
The 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...
(RAF) is a specialised 10 battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
wing of the India
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...
n Central Reserve Police Force. It was formed in October 1992, to deal with communal riots and related civil unrest. The battalions are numbered from 99 to 108.
Weapons
CRPF uses basic InfantryInfantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
weapons such as:
- FN 35 and Glock 17 9 mm pistols
- Heckler & KochHeckler & KochHeckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision...
MP5 replacing the Carbine 1A 9 mm sub-machine guns - INSAS 5.56 mm assault rifles
- INSAS 5.56 mm light machine guns replacing the Bren L4 machine guns
- AGS-17AGS-17The AGS-17 Plamya is a Soviet-designed automatic grenade launcher currently in production in the Russian Federation and in service worldwide.-Description:...
Plamya 30 mm automatic grenade launcher - AK 47 and AKMAKMThe AKM is a 7.62mm assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is an upgraded version of the AK-47 rifle and was developed in the 1950s....
- Tavor TAR-21
- [X-95] 5.56 MM assault Rifle. Indian copy of the Tavor TAR - 21 procured from Israel.
In addition to these, CRPF also uses land mine detectors.
Women in the CRPF
The CRPF has two battalions staffed entirely by women. The first battalion was raised in 1986 with its headquarters at New DelhiNew Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. The second battalion came into existence in 1996 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The Green Force
Another specialised outfit of the CRPF is the Green Force. The force has been able to effectively check environmental degradation and sustain the regeneration of local floraFlora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
and fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
. Every year Green Force personnel plant hundreds of thousands of trees in various parts of the country.