New Delhi, March 21 Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to introduce the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, in the Rajya Sabha on Monday to regulate the recruitment, deputation, and promotion of CAPF officers, according to the List of Business issued by the House.
All the CAPFs – Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal (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.
According to sources, the law was necessitated because of expanding functional and operational requirements and the distinct organizational structure of each CAPF that has been shaped over a period of time.
The regulatory framework has been shaped in a fragmented manner in the absence of a single law governing the CAPF, resulting in litigations on service-related matters and leading to some functional and administrative difficulties, they said.
The bill aims to regulate the general rules governing the recruitment and conditions of service of Group A General Duty Officers and other officers in the CAPFs and other rules regarding these forces, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto, the List of Business issued by the House.
The sources said the proposed law will regulate the service conditions of Group A General Duty Officers and other officers appointed in these CAPFs.
It also suggests that for the purposes of appointment of officers from the Indian Police Service in the ranks of Inspector General and above in CAPF, 50 per cent of the posts are to be filled by deputation in the rank of Inspector General, and a minimum of 67 per cent are to be filled by deputation in the rank of Additional Director General, they said.
The sources said posts of Special Director General and Director General shall be filled by deputation only.
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.
The CAPFs work for national security and anti-insurgency in close coordination with the State authorities, they said.
The proposed law seeks to maintain the existing system of deputation of IPS officers in CAPFs to ensure coordination between the Centre and states.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan had rejected the Centre's plea seeking the review of the May 23, 2025, verdict of the apex court.
On May 23, 2025, the court directed the Centre to conduct a cadre review, which was due in 2021, in all the CAPFs, including the ITBP, BSF, CRPF, CISF, and SSB, within six months.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka (since retired) and Ujjal Bhuyan directed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) on May 23, 2025, to take an appropriate decision within three months of receiving the action-taken report from the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the cadre review and a review of the existing service rules or recruitment rules.
"Keeping in mind the twin objectives of service mobility of the cadre officers of CAPF... removing stagnation on the one hand and the operational/functional requirement of the forces on the other hand, we are of the view that the number of posts earmarked for deputation in the cadres of the CAPFs up to the level of senior administrative grade (SAG) should be progressively reduced over a period of time, say within an outer limit of two years," the top court had said.
It had said this step would bring in a sense of participation of the cadre officers belonging to the CAPFs in the decision-making process within the forces' administrative framework, thereby removing their long-standing grievances.
The court had lauded the role of the CAPFs and said they are crucial for maintaining security at the country's borders as well as for discharging internal-security duties.
It highlighted that the Centre has taken the view that the presence of IPS officers in each of the CAPFs is vital for the maintenance of their character as a unique central armed force.
"This is a policy decision. Of course, individual officers belonging to the IPS or the association of IPS officers cannot have a say as to how much the deputation quota should be and how long the deputation should continue. They are there on deputation by virtue of the policy decision of the central government manifested through the service rules/recruitment rules of the CAPFs.
"Having said that, we cannot also be oblivious of the grievance expressed by officers of the CAPFs as highlighted supra. Their dedicated service upholding the security, integrity, and sovereignty of the nation while safeguarding our borders and maintaining internal security within the country cannot be ignored or overlooked," it had said.
Noting that the CAPFs discharge their duties under very demanding conditions, the court had said they have a grievance that, because of lateral entry into the higher grades of the respective forces, they are unable to get timely promotion.
"Consequently, there is a great deal of stagnation. Such stagnation can adversely impact the morale of the forces. This also needs to be factored in while considering review of such policy decisions," it had said.