New Delhi, Apr 1 (PTI) The government and the Opposition members were at loggerheads in the Rajya Sabha during the debate on the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill on Wednesday, with BJP MPs calling it a much-needed reform and the Opposition accusing it of overriding the Supreme Court verdict.
The bill, which was passed in the Upper House with a voice vote amid an Opposition walkout, seeks to create a unified legal framework governing personnel across different CAPF forces, replacing the current patchwork of separate service rule regimes for the five Central Armed Police Forces.
Opposing the Bill, Fauzia Khan of NCP-SCP accused the government of using Parliament to override a final binding Supreme Court verdict.
“This (bill) is not a legislation, this is judicial invasion wearing the clothes of law. Imagine joining one of these forces as an Assistant Commandant, young, ready to serve, 16 years have passed, you have fought insurgents, you have earned your promotion and yet you have not received it,” Khan said.
She argued that the CAPF officers deserve a career that respects that sacrifice. This bill claims to bring legislative clarity but what it does is impose one single central law on the forces that weakens the national security, Khan said.
The NCP-SCP MP argued that this bill makes it harder for serving women CAPF personnel to rise in their careers. “This government talks about Nari Shakti. True empowerment is not merely giving them opening positions. It lies in giving them not in statutory reservations but opening command positions for them,” she said.
“Any reform that ignores the family is not called for and this is what is happening. This is incomplete. I request the government to refer this to JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee), consult CAPF Associations, consult the people this bill affects the most,” Khan demanded.
Priyanka Chaturvedi of SS-UBT said a decision on the bill involving all stakeholders should have taken place in a Select Committee which is missing. This bill is coming with the spirit that not only violates the Supreme Court order but also pits the IPS and CAPF against each other which is de-motivating, she claimed.
Chaturvedi called for fair promotions, equitable leadership opportunities, fully filled vacancies and recognition of decades of service in CAPF, demanding that the bill be sent to a select committee.
Countering her, Mayankkumar Nayak of BJP said the government had to bring the bill to streamline appointment and promotion processes related to the five CAPF personnel, saying it will bring scattered rules related to them under one umbrella, creating a uniform framework for CAPF personnel.
For CAPF cadre officials this is a historic move, he claimed, adding that it will usher in transparency for them to progress in their careers. Nayak lauded the efforts undertaken by the Narendra Modi-led government to eradicate naxalism in the country.
This bill will free security forces administration from legal disputes, he argued, accusing the Opposition of spreading confusion on the bill.
Naresh Bansal of BJP said the bill establishes a uniform administrative framework and aims to reduce service-related disputes in CAPF, while respecting the Supreme Court’s judgement.
Manan Kumar Mishra of BJP termed the bill a transformative and structurally necessary reform that seeks to rationalise and modernise the administrative framework governing the CAPF.
In service jurisprudence, consistency and predictability are the cornerstones, he said, stressing that the Supreme Court has repeatedly emphasised that arbitrariness in administrative action violates Article 14 (of the Constitution).
“This bill therefore, brings codification, uniformity and legal certainty ensuring that the governance of CAPF is no longer dependent on discretion but guided by statutes,” he said, adding that at present the five CAPF operate under separate statutes, leading to fragmented service conditions.
“The bill addresses this by creating a single unified framework for recruitment, promotion and deputation,” Mishra said.
According to him, the bill formalises and strengthens the long-standing practice of appointing IPS (Indian Police Service) officers to senior leadership positions within CAPF, thereby ensuring continuity, stability and administrative coherence.
By statutorily providing for the deputation of IPS officers, the bill secures a consistent and merit-based leadership pipeline at the highest level. He said the bill ensures continuity of all service benefits, including allowances and pensions.
Mishra said naxalism has been almost eradicated in the country due to the efforts of Home Minister Amit Shah, claiming that under Congress-led UPA government, the absence of a unified central command led to setbacks including the 2010 Dantewada attack that killed 75 CRPF personnel.
He said the Modi-led government has strengthened the IPS-led CAPF command enabling coordinated intelligence-based operations, and decisively taken up force modernisation, reversing years of UPA-government neglect.
Dharmshila Gupta of BJP said the Bill is not only an administrative reform but a historic step in the direction of further strengthening and modernising India’s internal security.
She lauded the efforts of the government to combat naxalism in India, saying it is on the verge of being eradicated. She attacked the previous UPA-led government and the “jungle-raj” in Bihar, saying several security personnel lost their lives in naxal-terrorism. PTI RSN ANU
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