CAPF Bill, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
• Opposition parties criticized the bill, calling it an assault on a Supreme Court judgment regarding the appointment of IPS officers in CAPFs.
• The bill aims to create a unified legal framework for personnel across the five CAPFs.
• The Supreme Court in October last year directed that IPS officers' deputation in the CAPFs up to the level of Senior Administrative Grade should be progressively reduced.

Detailed Insights:

• The bill seeks to replace the existing system of separate service rules for each of the five CAPFs with a unified legal framework.
• Concerns have been raised by the Opposition regarding provisions related to the appointment of IPS officers within the CAPFs.
• The Supreme Court's 2025 verdict had directed a progressive reduction of IPS officers' deputation in CAPFs and called for a cadre review within six months.
• The government's introduction of the bill comes after the Supreme Court dismissed the Centre's plea seeking a review of its 2025 verdict.

Key Concepts Involved:

• CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces): Uniform nomenclature for the internal security forces in India under the authority of Ministry of Home Affairs.
• IPS (Indian Police Service): A civil service that provides officers for leading and commanding the state and central police forces.
• Senior Administrative Grade: A rank in the Indian civil services hierarchy.