New Delhi, April 1 The Rajya Sabha passed the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, by voice vote on Wednesday, amid an opposition walkout.
The bill aims to create a unified legal framework governing personnel across different Central Armed Police Forces, replacing the current patchwork of separate service rule regimes for the five Central Armed Police Forces.
Responding to the debate, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said that the Central Armed Police Forces Bill, 2026, was placed before the House not as a legislative proposal, but with the purpose of strengthening the country's security system.
According to Rai, the bill is an important step towards resolving several inconsistencies in service rules, cadre management, appointment-related issues, among others, to boost the efficiency and morale of armed forces.
He stated that over time, the domain of CAPFs had expanded, leading to the adoption of different rules, guidelines, and administrative solutions, resulting in a lack of clarity and inconvenience in its implementation.
Rai said that the bill aims to create an umbrella structure for resolving such anomalies and streamlining its structure for better coordination and implementation.
Dismissing the allegations of various members that the bill is against the federal structure of the country, Rai said, "I want to clarify that the bill is not against the federal structure. In fact, it further strengthens the federal structure."
He maintained that the CAPF bill helps in maintaining proper coordination between armed forces and state police, as well as state administration.
The minister also dismissed apprehensions of several members regarding other issues such as violation of the principles of separation of powers, stagnation in career progression, lack of consultation and representation, and lack of concern for judicial directions.
He said that the earlier recruitment process used to take one-and-a-half to two years, however, now the process has not only been simplified but the duration has also been shortened to 10 to 11 months.
He informed the House that several issues related to residences, pension, welfare, and social security, etc., have been improved by taking adequate measures.
The Opposition staged a walkout demanding that the bill be sent to a select panel of Parliament.
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said that the members wanted the bill to go to a select committee of Parliament.
Kharge alleged that the minister's reply did not address the main issues related to institutionalization of deputation, adverse impact on morale and career progression, lack of consultation and representation, and lack of concern for judicial directions.
Dissatisfied with the minister's response, the Opposition staged a walkout amid slogans.
Responding to Kharge, Leader of the House J P Nadda accused the Opposition of disrespecting Parliamentary procedures.
"I have said this before, they (Opposition) don't have any interest in the debate. They don't have any respect for parliamentary procedure," he said.
The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, provides that to appoint 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 by deputation in the rank of additional director general.
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 CAPFs up to the level of Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) should be "progressively reduced" and asked for a cadre review to be carried out in six months.