Rapid Action Force
Encyclopedia
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) is a specialised wing of the India
n CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force
). It was established on 11 December 1991 and became fully operational in October 1992, to deal with riots & related unrest. It currently has 10 battalions which are numbered 99 to 108 in the CRPF.
such as the November 26th attacks
.
that hit Orissa
in October 1999, six companies of RAF were deployed and carried out rescue and relief operations in five of the state's worst affected districts. Ten of the force's medical teams treated about 20,000 patients and provided much-needed medical and other assistance to the victims. CRPF personnel cremated about 300 decomposed bodies in Orissa's badly-affected Erasama block.
Force in the country to have two women battalions. The first such battalion was raised in 1986 with its headquarters at New Delhi
. The second battalion came into existence in 1996 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
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 CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force
Central Reserve Police Force
The 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...
). It was established on 11 December 1991 and became fully operational in October 1992, to deal with riots & related unrest. It currently has 10 battalions which are numbered 99 to 108 in the CRPF.
Riot control
This elite force has made its impact against the rioters and restored the confidence of the people. It has been very effective in dealing with communal violence, as well as terrorist attacksTerrorism in India
Terrorism in India is primarily attributable to religious communities and Naxalite radical movements.The regions with long term terrorist activities today are Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai, Central India and the Seven Sister States...
such as the November 26th attacks
2008 Mumbai attacks
The 2008 Mumbai attacks were more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai, India's largest city, by Islamist attackers who came from Pakistan...
.
Humanitarian Activities
RAF has also succeeded in projecting the human face of the Government and built bridges with the public by carrying out prompt rescue and relief operations during floods, earthquakes, cyclones and outbreak of epidemics in various parts of the country.Operations in the aftermath of the 1999 cyclone
During the super-cycloneCyclone
In meteorology, a cyclone is an area of closed, circular fluid motion rotating in the same direction as the Earth. This is usually characterized by inward spiraling winds that rotate anticlockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. Most large-scale...
that hit Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
in October 1999, six companies of RAF were deployed and carried out rescue and relief operations in five of the state's worst affected districts. Ten of the force's medical teams treated about 20,000 patients and provided much-needed medical and other assistance to the victims. CRPF personnel cremated about 300 decomposed bodies in Orissa's badly-affected Erasama block.
Anti-Terror Operations
During the November 2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks, RAF was involved in cordoning the areas around the Oberoi Trident and the Taj Mahal hotels.Women in the RAF
CRPF is the only ParamilitaryParamilitary
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 country to have two women battalions. The first such battalion was raised in 1986 with its headquarters at New Delhi
New 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.