Understanding the Central Armed Police Force and various forces under it

Central Armed Police Force

This article is to inform about the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and various forces under it.

Following five forces which come under Indian Home Ministry were earlier considered paramilitary forces, but from March 2011 have been classified as Central Armed Police Forces to avoid confusion.

• Central Reserve Police Force

• Border Security Force

• Indo-Tibetan Border Police

• Central Industrial Security Force

• Sashastra Seema Bal

Border Security Force (BSF)

BSF is a Border Guarding Force of India. It is a Union Government Agency under the administrative control of Ministry of Home Affairs. BSF is one of many law enforcement agencies of India. It currently stands as the world’s largest border guarding force.

BSF came into being in the wake of the 1965 Indo-Pakistan war, to ensure the security of the borders of India. An officer from the Indian Police Service heads BSF, just like all other paramilitary forces. The exception is Assam Rifles.

Nearly 2.4 lakh personnel are a part of this force. It is also called as the ‘First Wall of Defence of Indian Territories‘.

Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

It is a premier multi-skilled security agency which provides security cover to nuclear installations, space establishments, airports, seaports, power plants, sensitive Government buildings and ever heritage monuments.

CISF also protects the currency note presses producing Indian currency. It is the largest industrial security force in the world and has 165,000 personnel.

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

It is an armed Force of the Union of India, with the basic role of striking reserve to assist the State/Union Territories in Police operations to maintain law and order and contain the insurgency.

The CRPF looks after the internal security of every part of India.

Countering naxal operations, assisting the State and Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and helping with the UN peace-keeping missions also comes under CRPF’s task list.

DID YOU KNOW: The India-Pakistan Border was guarded by CRPF until 1965, after which the BSF was created. In 2001 Parliament attack too, it was the CRPF troops that killed the five terrorists who entered the premises.

Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

It is a specialized mountain Force and most of the officers & men are professionally trained mountaineers and skiers. It also comes under the Central Armed Police Force.

Established after the 1962 Indo-China war, under the CRPF Act. It vigils the northern borders, detects and prevents every border violations and helps the locals feel secure. The ITBP protects India’s border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region.

The force also keeps a check on illegal immigration and trans-border smuggling. They guard the Indo-Tiber border and the mountainous regions of the Indo-China border.

The ITBP has training in disaster management and has been deployed in UN peacekeeping missions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Western Sahara, Sudan, and Afghanistan.

Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)

It is a Border Guarding Force (BGF) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Established in 1963, the SSB guard the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders.

It was only in 2014 that the government approved the recruitment of women as combat officers in SSB.

Formerly known as the Special Service Bureau, their job is to control anti-national activities and inculcate feelings of national belonging in the border population among others.