CAPF officers were finally allowed to rise to leadership positions. Now, govt is blocking it

FIle photo of CAPF personnel | ANI

The government’s decision to file a review petition against the landmark Supreme Court judgment in the Central Armed Police Forces cadre case has deeply shaken the morale of over 12,000 cadre officers who form the backbone of India’s internal security architecture.

A bench comprising Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan had rightly declared CAPFs as organised services and directed the progressive reduction of IPS deputation in supervisory posts up to the level of Inspector General (IG) within two years. The verdict was a watershed moment. It restored dignity, professional autonomy, and long-denied career progression to officers who have dedicated their lives to service under the harshest conditions.

Instead of implementing this long-overdue reform, the government has unfortunately opted for a review. And IPS officers continue to be inducted into cadre posts in BSF and SSB in violation of the spirit of the judgment.

According to the Data on Police Organizations 2022, published by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), the sanctioned strength of IPS officers is 5,055. Against the 151 sanctioned posts of Director General (DG) and Special DG in States, UTs, CPOs, and CAPFs, IPS officers hold 165 posts—34 more than sanctioned. Against 352 sanctioned posts of Additional DG, 454 IPS officers are in position—102 in surplus. Even at the IG level, there are 816 sanctioned posts—and yet the demand for more positions continues unabated.

This data lays bare the skewed deployment pattern. Despite massive over-representation in civil policing and Central Police Organisations (CPOs), IPS officers continue to dominate top posts in CAPFs—a space where internal cadre officers are more suited in terms of experience, institutional knowledge, and operational grounding.

The viceroy model

The continued deputation of IPS officers to lead CAPFs evokes the image of colonial outposts being administered by viceroys. Though CAPFs are modern and professional security forces, they remain, in the eyes of some policymakers, institutions to be “controlled” rather than empowered. Out of more than 12,000 CAPF cadre officers, only four or five hold the rank of Additional DG, and none have been posted as DG or Special DG. In contrast, IPS officers hold over 165 DG/Spl DG posts across State Police, UTs, CPOs, and CAPFs.

Originally, 66 per cent of Additional DG posts in CAPFs were earmarked for IPS officers. This figure has since been raised to 75 per cent, under the oft-repeated and increasingly unconvincing argument of “better coordination”.

The government frequently cites “coordination with states” as the rationale for IPS deputation. However, the Supreme Court clearly noted that such liaisoning is effectively handled at the DIG and Commandant levels. Furthermore, CAPF officers have regularly and successfully engaged with international forces across borders in Pakistan, China, and Bangladesh. It is disingenuous to suggest that officers who can handle cross-border diplomacy are incapable of coordinating with civil authorities within India.

If coordination is genuinely the concern, then the principle of reciprocal deputation must be adopted—where CAPF officers are also posted in State Police and civil administration. Anything less is discriminatory.

Leadership in CAPFs is not merely administrative—it is strategic, operational, and morale-building. It demands institutional memory, long-term association, and field credibility attributes rarely available in short-term deputation tenures.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF), another central security organisation, functions efficiently with only one IPS officer at the DG level, while all other command positions are held by its own cadre. Similarly, the Indian Coast Guard no longer depends on deputations from the Indian Navy.

General Cariappa’s endorsement revisited

This situation eerily echoes a post-Independence moment when  Major General Nathu Singh Rathore opposed Prime Minister Nehru’s decision to continue with General Sir Francis Roy Bucher, a British officer, as Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. General Bucher held the position until 15 January 1949, when General Cariappa took over. The date is now celebrated as Army Day—marking the end of foreign control over Indian military leadership.

CAPF officers, almost 78 years after Independence, continue to await their own moment of institutional emancipation.

The decision to file a review petition is not merely a legal response—it is a betrayal of institutional justice. It seeks to delay reform, preserve systemic bias, and subvert the spirit of the court’s directive.

The Supreme Court may now consider inserting the following clarification: Progressive reduction of IPS deputation up to zero per cent in supervisory posts below HAG (Higher Administrative Grade) level.

Simultaneously, it is imperative to review and rationalise the surplus presence of IPS officers in HAG and Apex Scale posts across the CAPFs and CPOs.

Investing in internal leadership 

If the argument is that CAPF cadre officers lack exposure to policy-level or strategic planning, then the answer lies in training, not exclusion. Officers can be sent to institutions like NDC, LBSNAA, or undergo attachments with strategic agencies. Let professional development be the pathway—not lateral bypasses.

The CAPFs form the steel spine of India’s internal and border security. They face bullets, grenades, landmines, and violent mobs—not just routine law and order. They deserve institutional dignity and leadership from within.

The review petition must be withdrawn. Reforms must be implemented in letter and spirit. And most importantly, the colonial mindset of control must be buried once and for all.

Gajendra Singh Chaudhary is a BSF cadre officer of the 1984 batch who served in the BSF and the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D) as DIG. He filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court in 2016 challenging the induction of IPS officers into BSF against the post of Inspector General. Views are personal.

(Edited by Theres Sudeep)