India maintains 10 paramilitary forces.[1]

List of Paramilitary forces

From 1986 to 2011 the Central Armed Police Forces were considered as Central Police Forces (CPF).[2] However, as per their respective acts they all are Armed Police Forces.[3][4] Technically, the paramilitary forces of India are the Assam Rifles, the Special Frontier Force and the Indian Coast Guard. The Assam Rifles is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the operational control of the Ministry of Defence. Assam Rifles is headed by a Director General of the rank of Lieutenant General of the Indian Army. While the Special Frontier Force is under the administrative control of Cabinet Secretariat. The Indian Coast Guard is under administrative control of the Ministry of Defence. The remaining forces are the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB and NSG, which are technically armed police forces under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs, collectively known as the Central Armed Police Forces.

Paramilitary Forces[1]
Paramilitary force Active Strength Governing Body Area
Assam Rifles LOGO.svg
Assam Rifles
63,747[5] Ministry of Home Affairs (administrative)
Ministry of Defence (operational)[6]
Northeast India, India–Myanmar border
BSF Insignia.svg
Border Security Force
257,363[5] Ministry of Home Affairs India–Pakistan border and India–Bangladesh border[7]
CISF LOGO.svg
Central Industrial Security Force
144,418[5] Ministry of Home Affairs Industries, public sector undertakings
CRPF Logo.svg
Central Reserve Police Force
313,678[5] Ministry of Home Affairs Counter-insurgency and general elections
ITBP Logo.svg
Indo-Tibetan Border Police
89,432[5] Ministry of Home Affairs India–China border[8]
National Security Guard-India.svg
National Security Guard
10,000 Ministry of Home Affairs Counter-terrorism
Logo of RPF.jpg
Railway Protection Force
76,563 Ministry of Railways Indian Railways, Railway police
Sashastra Seema Bal.svg
Sashastra Seema Bal
97,244[9] Ministry of Home Affairs India–Nepal border and India–Bhutan border[10]
SFF LOGO.svg
Special Frontier Force
10,000[9] Cabinet Secretariat[11] Covert operations
SPG LOGO.svg
Special Protection Group
3,000[9] Cabinet Secretariat Protection of significant persons
Total 1,065,445

Ranks and insignia

Officers
Rank group General/flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Assam Rifles[12][13]
Assam Rifles OF-8.svg
Assam Rifles OF-8.svg
Assam Rifles OF-8.svg
Director-General[note 1]
-
Special Director-General[note 2]
-
Additional Director-General[note 3]
-
Assam Rifles OF-7.svg
Assam Rifles OF-6.svg
Assam Rifles OF-5.svg
Assam Rifles OF-4.svg
Assam Rifles OF-3.svg
Assam Rifles OF-2.svg
Inspector General[note 4]
-
Deputy Inspector-General[note 5]
-
Commandant[note 6]
-
Second-In-Command[note 7]
-
Deputy Commandant[note 8]
-
Assistant Commandant[note 9]
-


Central Industrial Security Force[14][15]
CAPF Director-General.png
CAPF Director-General.png
CAPF Director-General.png
Director-General
-
Special Director-General
-
Additional Director-General
-
CAPF Inspector-General.png
CAPF Deputy Inspector-General.png
SSP State Police.png
SP State Police.png
Assistant Superintendent of Police.png
Deupty Superintendent of Police.png
Inspector General
-
Deputy Inspector-General
-
Senior Commandant
-
Commandant
-
Deputy Commandant
-
Assistant Commandant
-


Central Reserve Police Force[16][17]
CAPF Director-General.png
CAPF Director-General.png
CAPF Director-General.png
Director-General
-
Special Director-General
-
Additional Director-General
-
CAPF Inspector-General.png
CAPF Deputy Inspector-General.png
SSP State Police.png
SP State Police.png
Assistant Superintendent of Police.png
CRP OF-2.svg
Inspector General
-
Deputy Inspector-General
-
Commandant
-
Second-In-Command
-
Deputy Commandant
-
Assistant Commandant
-


National Security Guard[18]
NSG OF-8.svg
NSG OF-8.svg
NSG OF-7.svg
NSG OF-6.svg
NSG OF-5.svg
NSG OF-4.svg
NSG OF-3.svg
NSG OF-2.svg
Director general
-
Additional director general
-
Inspector general
-
Deputy inspector general
-
Group Commander
-
Second In Command
-
Squadron Commander
-
Team Commander
-


Sashastra Seema Bal[19]
CAPF Director-General.png
CAPF Director-General.png
CAPF Inspector-General.png
CAPF Deputy Inspector-General.png
SSP State Police.png
SP State Police.png
Assistant Superintendent of Police.png
Deupty Superintendent of Police.png
Director-General
-
Additional Director-General
-
Inspector General
-
Deputy Inspector-General
-
Commandant
-
Second-In-Command
-
Deputy Commandant
-
Assistant Commandant
-


Special Frontier Force
Major general
Brigadier
Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Major
Captain
First Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant


Rank group General/flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
Enlisted ranks
Rank group Junior commissioned officers Non commissioned officer Enlisted
Assam Rifles[20]
Assam Rifles OR-9.svg
Assam Rifles OR-8.svg
Assam Rifles OR-7.svg
Assam Rifles OR-6.svg
No insignia
Subedar Major
सूबेदार मेजर
Subedar
सूबेदार
Naib Subedar
नायब सूबेदार
Warrant officer
-
Havildar[note 10]
हवलदार
Rifleman[note 11]
-


Central Industrial Security Force[14][15]
Central Armed Police Forces Subedar Major.png
Police Inspector insignia.png
Police Sub-Inspector.png
Assistant Sub-Inspector.png
Police Head Constable.png
Senior Police Constable.png
No insignia
Subedar Major
सूबेदार मेजर
Inspector
-
Sub inspector
-
Assistant Sub inspector
-
Head Constable
-
Naik
नायक
Constable
-


Central Reserve Police Force[16][17]
CRP OR-9.svg
CRP OR-8b.svg
CRP OR-8a.svg
CRP OR-7.svg
Police Head Constable.png
No insignia
Subedar Major
-
Inspector
-
Sub-inspector
-
Assistant Sub-inspector
-
Head Constable
-
Constable
-


National Security Guard[18]
NSG OR-9.svg
NSG OR-8b.svg
NSG OR-8a.svg
NSG OR-7.svg
NSG OR-6.svg
NSG OR-4.svg
No insignia
Subedar Major
सूबेदार मेजर
Assistant Commander-1
-
Assistant Commander-2
-
Assistant Commander-3
-
Ranger Grade I
-
Ranger Grade II
-
Combatised tradesmen
-


Sashastra Seema Bal[19]
Central Armed Police Forces Subedar Major.png
Police Inspector insignia.png
Police Sub-Inspector.png
Assistant Sub-Inspector.png
Police Head Constable.png
Senior Police Constable.png
Blank.svg
No insignia
Subedar Major
सूबेदार मेजर
Inspector
-
Sub inspector
-
Assistant Sub inspector
-
Head Constable
-
Naik
नायक
Lance Naik
लांस नायक
Constable
-


Special Frontier Force
No insignia
Subedar Major Subedar Naib Subedar Havildar Naik Lance Naik Sepoy
Rank group Junior commissioned officers Non commissioned officer Enlisted

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Also referred to by the rank Lieutenant general (लेफ्टिनेंट - जनरल)
  2. ^ Also referred to by the rank Lieutenant general (लेफ्टिनेंट - जनरल)
  3. ^ Also referred to by the rank Lieutenant general (लेफ्टिनेंट - जनरल)
  4. ^ Also referred to by the rank Major general (मेजर - जनरल)
  5. ^ Also referred to by the rank Brigadier (ब्रिगेडियर)
  6. ^ Also referred to by the rank Colonel (कर्नल)
  7. ^ Also referred to by the rank Lieutenant colonel (लेफ्टिनेंट - कर्नल)
  8. ^ Also referred to by the rank Major (मेजर)
  9. ^ Also referred to by the rank Captain (कप्तान)
  10. ^ Also referred to by the rank Head constable (-)
  11. ^ Also referred to by the rank Constable (-)

References

  1. ^ a b IISS (2012). "Chapter Six: Asia". The Military Balance. London: Routledge. 112 (1): 205–302. doi:10.1080/04597222.2012.663215. S2CID 219626887.
  2. ^ "Office Memorandum" (PDF). MHA. MHA, GoI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Office Memorandum" (PDF). MHA. MHA, GoI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  4. ^ Dholabhai, Nishit (26 March 2011). "For the paramilitary, all's in a new name". The Telegraphy.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Annual Report 2016-17" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  6. ^ Tiwary, Deeptiman (7 December 2021). "Explained: Assam Rifles' dual control structure, and its role". The Indian Express.
  7. ^ "Introduction". bsf.nic.in. Border Security Force. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  8. ^ "Home | Indo Tibetan Border Police, Ministry of Home Affairs". itbpolice.nic.in. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  9. ^ a b c (Iiss), The International Institute of Strategic Studies (14 February 2020). The Military Balance 2020. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated. ISBN 9780367466398 – via Google Books.
  10. ^ "Role- SSB Ministry Of Home Affairs, Govt. Of India". ssb.nic.in. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  11. ^ Chhina, Man Aman Singh; Kaushik, Krishn (2 September 2020). "Explained: What is the Special Frontier Force, referred to as Vikas Battalion?". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  12. ^ "असम राइफल्स विनियमन 2016 - Assam Rifles Regulation 2016" (PDF). 18 November 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
  13. ^ "Two Hundred Thirteenth Report - Security Situation in the North Eastern States of India" (PDF). Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. 19 July 2018. pp. 6–8. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  14. ^ a b "All ranks inclusive annual governing body meeting". Central Industrial Security Force. 19 November 2018. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022 – via Facebook.
  15. ^ a b "The Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968 (50 of 1968): (As Modified Vide Act No.14 of 1983, 20 of 1989, 40 of 1999 and 22 of 2009)" (PDF). Central Industrial Security Force. 2009. p. 18.
  16. ^ a b "The Central Reserve Police Force Rules/Regulations/Scheme,1955" (PDF). 24 February 1955.
  17. ^ a b "Career Prospects". Central Reserve Police Force. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022.
  18. ^ a b "The National Security Guard Act, 1986 (47 of 1986)" (PDF). Government of India. 22 September 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
  19. ^ a b "Sashastra Seema Bal Rules, 2009" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. 2009.
  20. ^ "Two Hundred Thirteenth Report - Security Situation in the North Eastern States of India" (PDF). Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. 19 July 2018. pp. 6–8. Retrieved 21 August 2022.

Further reading