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On March 25, 2026, the cardinal authorities introduced the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026 successful the Rajya Sabha to modulate the wide rules governing the recruitment and conditions of work of ‘Group A General Duty Officers’ (GAGDO) and different officers successful the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). This Bill provides that 50% of Inspector General posts, a minimum of 67% of Additional Director General posts (ADG), and each Special Director General (SDG) and Director General posts shall beryllium filled by deputation from the Indian Police Service.
Applies crossed CAPFs
By implication, deputation to the fertile of the Deputy Inspector General and below, shall proceed to beryllium regulated by the prevailing rules. The Bill besides saves immoderate fiscal benefits granted to the GAGDO (Group A serviceman of the fertile of Assistant Commandant and above) issued before. This Act shall use to the 5 CAPFs — Central Reserve Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo Tibetan Border Police and Sashastra Seema Bal. While the Bill aims to institutionalise the humanities contributions and practice of the IPS successful the CAPFs, it is seen by immoderate arsenic an instrumentality to undo the directions issued by the Supreme Court of India successful Sanjay Prakash and Others vs Union of India and Others (May 2025).
The Court ruled chiefly connected 2 issues; to implicit the pending cadre reappraisal and undertake the reappraisal of work rules successful a fixed time-period; and to progressively trim the fig of posts earmarked for deputation successful the CAPFs up to the level of Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) i.e., Inspector General rank, wrong a play of 2 years. It is frankincense wide that the designation of the CAPFs arsenic Organised Group ‘A’ Services (OGAS) was taxable the proviso of deputation of IPS officers to assorted CAPFs.
The Court noted that determination are assorted issues connected with the deployment of CAPFs, including coordination with the State Governments and the State constabulary force. The assignment of IPS officers successful each CAPF is captious to support the quality of each CAPF. This is simply a argumentation determination manifest done the work rules of the CAPFs. The question of who shall caput these forces was ne'er contentious. It was not adjacent a lawsuit that the petitioners’ work conditions had worsened since they joined the service.
A ‘unifying link’
Most of the elder operational posts successful States are held by ADG oregon SDG fertile officers. Therefore, the assignment of IPS officers to the CAPFs astatine elder ranks is indispensable for creaseless relations with the State forces. Their enactment process and training, on with tract experience, springiness them a broader imaginativeness and an borderline successful starring forces whose main purpose is to assistance oregon enactment successful tandem with State forces. Those who usage the word ‘parachuting IPS officers into CAPFs’ look unaware of Sardar Patel’s vision, which envisaged the IPS arsenic a unifying nexus betwixt the Union and the States. The IPS officers person lived up to his dreams for decades, upholding the law mandate.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, successful January 2026, modified the empanelment guidelines of IPS officers astatine the Centre and made a minimum two-year stint astatine the Centre mandatory for empanelment astatine the fertile of Inspector General. Therefore, the assignment of IPS officers successful the Superintendent of Police (SP)/Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) ranks successful the CAPFs volition further cement their camaraderie with the cadre officers.
As acold arsenic reducing the posts of deputation is concerned, the Court seems to person ruled connected the argumentation substance which exclusively falls wrong the domain of the legislature and executive. While the Court intelligibly stated that the substance of taking IPS officers connected deputation is simply a argumentation substance and the cardinal authorities successful its contented had taken a presumption that the beingness of IPS officers successful each CAPFs is vital, it erred successful directing the cardinal authorities to trim the posts of deputation.
Judiciary’s role
The work of the tribunal is to construe law. Courts whitethorn capable gaps successful definite spheres, but they are not to plunge into argumentation making by adding something. The tribunal is not expected to beryllium arsenic an appellate authorization connected an enactment it feels wiser to. The Court has antecedently held that ‘the contented and advisability of the policies are ordinarily not amenable to judicial reappraisal unless the policies are contrary to statutory oregon law provisions oregon arbitrary oregon irrational oregon an maltreatment of power’.
The Court, successful Gazula Dasaratha Rama Rao vs The State Of Andhra Pradesh & Others (1960), held that ‘the work provisions nether … the Constitution bash not enshrine immoderate cardinal close of citizens; they subordinate to recruitment information and tenure of work of persons, … appointed to a Civil Service oregon to posts successful transportation with the affairs of the Union oregon immoderate State’. Rightly so. The Court, successful Indian Ex Servicemen Movement and Ors. vs Union of India and Ors.., held that it did not find immoderate law infirmity successful the ‘One Rank One Pension’ principle.
The work conditions of CAPFs tin beryllium enhanced done regular intake and timely cadre reviews. The assignment of IPS officers connected deputation to the CAPFs, being a argumentation substance beyond the scope of adjudication, is rightly being codified, leaving nary country for divergent interpretations successful the future.
R.K. Vij is simply a erstwhile Indian Police Service (IPS) officer
