The central government, in its wisdom, has filed a review petition against the well-reasoned Supreme Court order affirming ‘Organised Group A Service’ (OGAS) status for officers of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).
At the heart of the case lies the government’s refusal to grant ‘Non-Functional Financial Upgradation’ (NFFU) of pay to five CAPFs — BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, and CISF — on the specious ground that these forces did not qualify since all posts up to the level of Joint Secretary (equivalent to Inspector General in CAPFs) were not filled by cadre officers. Yet, as far back as 1986, CAPFs were recognised as organised service.
NFFU is meant for services that face acute stagnation. It allows upgradation of pay up to the level of Additional Secretary (Additional DG in CAPFs), irrespective of vacancies. Over 60 services, including the IPS, enjoy this benefit. The five CAPFs remain the only exception.
After exhausting all other avenues, CAPF officers went to the courts. In 2015, the Delhi High Court ruled in their favour, affirming OGAS status and granting NFFU. The Government implemented the ruling in the case of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), which was part of the same litigation, amending service rules and extending all benefits of NFFU.
However, in the case of the five CAPFs under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the government chose to interpret the order differently, granting only partial NFFU. At the same time, the government did not end IPS deputation into these forces, thereby restricting vertical movement of CAPF cadre officers.
Litigation continued, culminating in the Supreme Court’s May 2025 judgment, which categorically directed that IPS deputation up to the level of IG in these forces be phased out within two years.
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Govt’s reasoning is flawed
While the government is entitled to file an appeal, the grounds it has raised are blatantly misleading and distort the facts.
It is outlandish to plead that ending IPS deputation in CAPF will compromise national security. First, deputation is not ending entirely — IPS officers will continue to occupy the highest posts of Additional DG, Special DG, and DG. These positions are almost exclusively reserved for IPS, with only 25 per cent earmarked for CAPF cadre officers at the Additional DG level.
Second, handing over command of operational frontiers and sectors to CAPF cadre officers will actually strengthen national security, as they will bring in their rich ground experience to enhance operational efficiency in their areas of expertise. Needless to say, IPS officers posted on deputation do not have any ground experience. They are unaware of the operational ethos of CAPFs, treat them as extensions of the police, and try to impose state-level policing practices that disrupt continuity in policies. Moreover, their short tenures further weaken consistency in leadership, leaving constabulary forces confused and national security compromised.
Equally misleading is the claim that only a minuscule number of IPS officers come to these forces on deputation. It obfuscates the fact that IPS occupy crucial supervisory and policy-making positions. This not only deprives experienced cadre officers of rightful elevation but also robs the nation of their vast experience gained while rising through the ranks. This wealth of expertise from having operated in the field is thus wasted at middle ranks, never reaching decision-making levels.
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Blocking CAPF cadres’ growth
The government’s plea that officers constitute just 2 per cent of CAPFs while 98 per cent are troops and therefore cannot be treated as OGAS is a classic ‘strawman argument’. For all practical purposes, this argument is fallacious and an attempt to divert attention from the main issue.
OGAS is applicable only to Group A officers and has nothing to do with strength or percentage of troops. The 98 per cent of non-officer personnel have a separate scheme — ‘Assured Career progression’ — to address stagnation in their ranks. By the government’s flawed logic, even IPS would be ineligible for OGAS since they too form only around 2 per cent of police forces, with the rest being constabulary and subordinate ranks.
Ironically, OGAS and NFFU have been granted to subsidiary cadres within CAPFs, such as medical and veterinary officers. These cadres enjoy the benefit despite working under the command of general duty officers. Hence, denying OGAS and NFFU to general duty cadres is unjust and discriminatory.
The argument that eliminating IPS deputation in CAPF goes against the concept of All India Service (AIS) and will have adverse impact on the federal structure too isn’t sound. The Supreme Court’s order applies only to CAPFs, and only up to the IG level. Umpteen other promotional avenues remain open for IPS officers, including IB, CBI, R&AW, various ministries, and hundreds of government and public sector organisations where they serve as security advisors or vigilance chiefs.
On the other hand, implementation of OGAS and NFFU for CAPFs will open the long-blocked career prospects for cadre officers and ensure utilisation of their operational experience in policy making, enhancing national security in the process.
It would not be out of place to mention that an Army officer joining as a Lieutenant can aspire to become Chief of Army Staff, and an IPS officer generally expects to rise to Director General of Police in their state. It is only in these five CAPFs — BSF, CRPF, ITBP, SSB, and CISF — that a young officer joining as an Assistant Commandant sees no future beyond the middle rungs despite having all the requisite qualities with regard to experience and expertise. The Supreme Court’s May order sought to correct this systemic injustice to an extent. It should be implemented without delay.
Sanjiv Krishan Sood is a former Additional Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF). He tweets @sood_2. Views are personal.
(Edited by Prashant)