Shah to introduce bill for umbrella law on CAPFs in RS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will introduce in the Rajya Sabha on Monday an “umbrella law” for Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to regulate recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of services of their officers, according to the List of Business issued by the House.

All the CAPFs — CRPF, BSF, ITBP and SSB — are governed by their respective Acts. The rules under these Acts govern the recruitment and conditions of service of Group A General Duty Officers and other officers and members in the CAPFs.

The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, provides that for the purposes of appointment of officers from the Indian Police Service in CAPFs, 50 per cent of the posts will be filled by deputation in the rank of Inspector General and a minimum of 67 per cent of the posts will be filled by deputation in the rank of Additional Director General.

The posts in the ranks of Special Director General and Director General shall be filled by deputation only, it proposes. The proposed legislation comes after the Supreme Court, in October last year, dismissed the Centre’s plea seeking a review of its 2025 verdict that directed that IPS officers’ deputation in the CAPFs be reduced and asked for a cadre review to be carried out in six months.

“In view of expanding functional and operational requirements, the distinct organisational structure of these Forces have evolved over a period of time. In recent years, due to the absence of an umbrella law, regulatory provisions have evolved in a fragmented manner, resulting in several litigations on service-related matters, leading to some functional and administrative difficulties,” the objectives of the bill state.

The bill seeks to regulate the recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of services of Group A General Duty Officers and other officers appointed in these Central Armed Police Forces, the Objectives of the bill circulated among Rajya Sabha members said.

A group of retired CAPF officers have gone to the Supreme Court with a contempt plea against Home Secretary Govind Mohan for not implementing the Supreme Court’s October order in this regard.

“The proposed CAPF Regulation Bill, 2026, assumes considerable importance. Any legislative intervention affecting the command structure, service conditions and leadership opportunities within CAPFs inevitably carries implications not only for institutional morale but also for the operational effectiveness of forces responsible for protecting India’s internal stability and border security,” the group said in a press statement on Friday.

The proposed law states that under Article 312 of the Constitution, the Indian Police Service is an All India Service and the officers of the Service are posted in the Union and the States.

“Historically, Indian Police Service officers are an integral and important part of the Central Armed Police Forces, who have been serving on deputation along with officers and members of these Forces,” the Objectives of the Bill state.

The CAPFs perform functions relating to national security and anti-insurgency in close coordination with the State authorities, it said.

“Therefore, in the interest of maintaining Centre-State relations by ensuring close coordination between the Union and the States for effective operational functioning, it is essential to maintain the existing system of deputation of the Indian Police Service Officers in the Central Armed Police Forces,” the document said.

The listed objectives of the proposed law said that the CAPFs are governed by the respective Acts of Parliament.

It said that, considering the nature and purposes of the CAPFs and to avoid unnecessary litigations, there is a need to lay down an umbrella law to regulate the recruitment, deputation, promotion and other conditions of services of Group A General Duty Officers and other officers appointed in these Central Armed Police Forces and other rules regarding these Forces.