Paramilitary forces of India

India maintains 10 paramilitary forces.^[1]

List of paramilitary forces

From 1986 to 2011 the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were considered as Central Police Organisations (CPOs).^[2] However, as per their respective acts they all are Armed Police Forces.^[2][3]

The paramilitary forces are made up of:^[1]

• Central Armed Police Forces^[4]
  • Border Guarding Forces
    • Assam Rifles (AR)
    • Border Security Force (BSF)
    • Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
    • Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
  • Special Task Force
    • National Security Guard (NSG)
  • Forces for Internal Security
    • Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
    • Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
• Railway Protection Force (RPF)
• Special Frontier Force (SFF)
• Special Protection Group (SPG)

Paramilitary Forces[1]
Paramilitary force	Active Strength	Governing Body	Operational area	Role
Assam Rifles	63,747[5]	Ministry of Home Affairs (administrative) Ministry of Defence (operational)[6]	Northeast India, India–Myanmar border	Border guard
Border Security Force	257,363[5]	Ministry of Home Affairs	India–Pakistan border and India–Bangladesh border[7]	Border guard
Central Industrial Security Force	144,418[5]	Ministry of Home Affairs	Industries, public sector undertakings, space installations, airports, seaports and Delhi Metro	Protection and security of operational areas
Central Reserve Police Force	313,678[5]	Ministry of Home Affairs	All India Force	Counter-insurgency and general elections
Indo-Tibetan Border Police	89,432[5]	Ministry of Home Affairs	India–China border[8]	Border guard
National Security Guard	10,000	Ministry of Home Affairs	Active Special operations in India	Counter-terrorism
Railway Protection Force	76,563	Ministry of Railways	Indian Railways	Protection and security of operational areas
Sashastra Seema Bal	97,244[9]	Ministry of Home Affairs	India–Nepal border and India–Bhutan border[10]	Border guard
Special Frontier Force	10,000[9]	Cabinet Secretariat[11]		Covert operations
Special Protection Group	3,000[9]	Cabinet Secretariat	Security of Prime Minister of India	Executive Protection
Total	1,065,445

Ranks and insignia

Officers

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
Assam Rifles[12][13] v t e					Director-general[note 1] - Special director-general[note 2] - Additional director-general[note 3] -
							Inspector general[note 4] -		Deputy inspector-general[note 5] -		Commandant[note 6] -		Second-in-command[note 7] -		Deputy commandant[note 8] -		Assistant commandant[note 9] -
Border Security Force v t e					Director-general - Special director-general - Additional director-general -
							Inspector general -		Deputy inspector-general -		Commandant -		Second-in-command -		Deputy commandant -		Assistant commandant -
Central Industrial Security Force[14][15] v t e					Director-general - Special director-general - Additional director-general -
							Inspector general -		Deputy inspector-general -		Senior commandant -		Commandant -		Deputy commandant -		Assistant commandant -
Central Reserve Police Force[16][17] v t e					Director-general - Special director-general - Additional director-general -
							Inspector general -		Deputy inspector-general -		Commandant -		Second-in-command -		Deputy commandant -		Assistant commandant -
Indo-Tibetan Border Police[18] v t e
					Director-general -	Additional director-general -	Inspector general -		Deputy inspector-general -	Additional deputy inspector-general -	Commandant -		Second-in-command -		Deputy commandant -		Assistant commandant -
National Security Guard[19] v t e
					Director general -	Additional director general -	Inspector general -		Deputy inspector general -		Group commander -		Second in command -		Deputy commander -		Team commander -
Railway Protection Force v t e
					Director general	Additional director general	Inspector general/ Principal chief security commissioner		Deputy inspector general/ Chief security commissioner		Senior commandant/ Senior divisional security commissioner		Commandant/ Divisional security commissioner				Assistant commandant/ Assistant security commissioner
Sashastra Seema Bal[20] v t e
					Director-general -	Additional director-general -	Inspector general -		Deputy inspector-general -		Commandant -		Second-in-command -		Deputy commandant -		Assistant commandant -
Special Frontier Force v t e
									Brigadier		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First Lieutenant		Second Lieutenant
Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers

Personnel below officer rank

Rank group	Junior commissioned officers										Non commissioned officers																		Enlisted
Assam Rifles[21] v t e																													No insignia
	Subedar major सूबेदार मेजर						Subedar सूबेदार		Naib subedar नायब सूबेदार		Warrant officer -						Havildar[note 10] हवलदार												Rifleman[note 11] -
Border Security Force v t e																													No insignia
	Subedar major सूबेदार मेजर						Inspector निरीक्षक	Sub-inspector उप निरीक्षक	Assistant sub-inspector सहायक उप निरीक्षक		Head constable हवलदार																		Constable -
Central Industrial Security Force[14][15][22] v t e																													No insignia
							Inspector निरीक्षक	Sub inspector उप निरीक्षक	Assistant sub-inspector सहायक उप निरीक्षक		Head constable हवलदार																		Constable -
Central Reserve Police Force[16][17] v t e																													No insignia
	Subedar major सूबेदार मेजर						Inspector निरीक्षक	Sub-inspector उप निरीक्षक	Assistant sub-inspector सहायक उप निरीक्षक		Head constable हवलदार																		Constable -
Indo-Tibetan Border Police[18] v t e																													No insignia
	Subedar major सूबेदार मेजर						Subedar/Inspector सूबेदार/निरीक्षक	Sub inspector उप निरीक्षक			Head constable हवलदार												Naik नायक				Lance naik लांस नायक		Constable -
National Security Guard[19] v t e																													No insignia
	Subedar major सूबेदार मेजर						Assistant commander-1 -	Assistant commander-2 -	Assistant commander-3 -		Ranger grade I -												Ranger grade II -						Combatised tradesmen -
Railway Protection Force v t e																													No insignia
							Inspector निरीक्षक	Sub inspector उप निरीक्षक	Assistant sub-inspector सहायक उप निरीक्षक		Head constable हवलदार																		Constable -
Sashastra Seema Bal[20] v t e																													No insignia
	Subedar major सूबेदार मेजर						Inspector निरीक्षक	Sub inspector उप निरीक्षक	Assistant sub-inspector सहायक उप निरीक्षक		Head constable हवलदार												Naik नायक				Lance naik लांस नायक		Constable -
Special Frontier Force v t e																													No insignia
	Subedar Major						Subedar		Naib Subedar		Havildar												Naik				Lance Naik		Sepoy
Rank group	Junior commissioned officers										Non commissioned officers																		Enlisted

See also

• Indian Armed Forces
• Central Armed Police Forces
• State Armed Police Forces
• Special forces of India

Notes

1. Equivalent to the rank lieutenant general (लेफ्टिनेंट - जनरल)
2. Equivalent to the rank lieutenant general (लेफ्टिनेंट - जनरल)
3. Equivalent to the rank lieutenant general (लेफ्टिनेंट - जनरल)
4. Equivalent to the rank major general (मेजर - जनरल)
5. Equivalent to the rank brigadier (ब्रिगेडियर)
6. Equivalent to the rank colonel (कर्नल)
7. Equivalent to the rank lieutenant colonel (लेफ्टिनेंट - कर्नल)
8. Equivalent to the rank major (मेजर)
9. Equivalent to the rank captain (कप्तान)
10. Equivalent to the rank head constable (-)
11. Equivalent to the rank constable (-)

References

1. IISS (2012). "Chapter Six: Asia". The Military Balance. 112 (1). London: Routledge: 205–302. doi:10.1080/04597222.2012.663215. S2CID 219626887.
2. "Office Memorandum" (PDF). MHA. MHA, GoI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
3. Dholabhai, Nishit (26 March 2011). "For the paramilitary, all's in a new name". The Telegraphy.
4. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (12 December 2018). Working conditions in Border Guarding Forces Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Border Security Force) (PDF). Rajya Sabha. p. 1. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
5. "Annual Report 2016-17" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
6. Tiwary, Deeptiman (7 December 2021). "Explained: Assam Rifles' dual control structure, and its role". The Indian Express.
7. "Introduction". bsf.nic.in. Border Security Force. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
8. "Home | Indo Tibetan Border Police, Ministry of Home Affairs". itbpolice.nic.in. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
9. (Iiss), The International Institute of Strategic Studies (14 February 2020). The Military Balance 2020. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated. ISBN 9780367466398 – via Google Books.
10. "Role- SSB Ministry Of Home Affairs, Govt. Of India". ssb.nic.in. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
11. Chhina, Man Aman Singh; Kaushik, Krishn (2 September 2020). "Explained: What is the Special Frontier Force, referred to as Vikas Battalion?". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
12. "असम राइफल्स विनियमन 2016 - Assam Rifles Regulation 2016" (PDF). 18 November 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
13. "Two Hundred Thirteenth Report - Security Situation in the North Eastern States of India" (PDF). Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. 19 July 2018. pp. 6–8. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
14. "All ranks inclusive annual governing body meeting". Central Industrial Security Force. 19 November 2018. Archived from the original on 23 September 2022 – via Facebook.
15. "The Central Industrial Security Force Act, 1968 (50 of 1968): (As Modified Vide Act No.14 of 1983, 20 of 1989, 40 of 1999 and 22 of 2009)" (PDF). Central Industrial Security Force. 2009. p. 18.
16. "The Central Reserve Police Force Rules/Regulations/Scheme,1955" (PDF). 24 February 1955.
17. "Career Prospects". Central Reserve Police Force. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022.
18. "XI Miscellaneous - 153. Rank structure". The Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force Act, 1992 (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. 1 September 1992.
19. "The National Security Guard Act, 1986 (47 of 1986)" (PDF). Government of India. 22 September 1986. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2014.
20. "Sashastra Seema Bal Rules, 2009" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs. 2009.
21. "Two Hundred Thirteenth Report - Security Situation in the North Eastern States of India" (PDF). Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. 19 July 2018. pp. 6–8. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
22. "The Central Industrial Security Force Rank Structure". Network18 Group. 2022.

Further reading

• India's Paramilitary Forces @ Bharat-Rakshak.Com

External links

• Assam Rifles official site
• Analysis of the PMF
• An informative article on the PMF
• Global Security article on Border Security Force