CAPFs Constitute Organised Group A Services, Rules Supreme Court, Order May Limit IPS Deputation
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The recruitment rules currently allow IPS officers to fill up to 100% posts at DG level, 75% at Additional DG, and 50% at IG—leaving little room for CAPF officers’ career growth
With its order, the Supreme Court rejected the longstanding practice of treating them as lesser peers to IPS. (PTI)
In a landmark ruling that may drastically reshape the structure of India’s Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), the Supreme Court has upheld the organised service status of the CAPFs and issued directions that could limit the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to senior posts within these forces.
The judgment, delivered by Justice Ujjal Bhuyan in Sanjay Prakash & Ors. vs Union of India & Ors., clarified that “for all intent and purposes, CAPFs belong to OGAS [Organised Group-A Services]," rejecting the longstanding practice of treating them as lesser peers to IPS.
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“CAPFs do constitute Organised Group A Central Civil Services," the court said.
Referring to its earlier decision in Harananda vs Union of India, the bench reiterated that “it cannot be said that CAPFs do not constitute Organised Group A Central Civil Services/Group A Central Civil Services", directly challenging the justification used to favour IPS officers in leadership roles within CAPFs.
Critically, the court said, “Their grievance primarily relates to… lateral entry into their respective services by way of deputation to various posts by officers belonging to the Indian Police Service (IPS), in the process resulting in complete stagnation in their service careers."
Will IPS Deputation Be Limited?
While the court stopped short of ordering the removal of IPS officers from CAPF roles, it laid the groundwork for such a shift by directing the government to review and revise recruitment rules. The Ministry of Home Affairs has been ordered to consider amending rules to ensure fair promotions: “The Ministry of Home Affairs is directed to… immediately undertake the exercise for review of existing Recruitment Rules… also taking into consideration the representation(s)… including qua Cadre Structure, Residency, Deputation etc."
These recruitment rules currently allow IPS officers to fill up to 100 per cent posts at the Director General (DG) level, 75 per cent at Additional DG, and 50 per cent at Inspector General (IG)—leaving little room for CAPF officers’ career growth. The Court emphasised this imbalance: “Number of posts and the percentage of deputation are inversely proportional," citing figures that 100 per cent of DG posts and 75 per cent of ADG posts in CAPFs are held by deputed IPS officers.
Impact on IPS Career Path
If the cadre review follows the court’s observations and the original Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, which called for 100 per cent promotion up to DIG and 50 per cent at IG and above, the number of deputation slots for IPS officers in CAPFs could reduce significantly.
The Road Ahead
Though the court did not invalidate the deputation of IPS officers, it effectively placed the onus on the government to respect the structured growth of CAPFs. The judgment cautions against allowing IPS deputations to override internal promotions.
“While CAPFs are OGAS and eligible for internal promotions, existing deputation practices should be reconsidered during cadre reviews and recruitment rule updates," Court order says.
This is seen by many as a major victory for CAPF officers, many of whom have waited since 2009 for structural parity.
- First Published:
May 24, 2025, 08:49 IST
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