Central Reserve Police Force

About Central Reserve Police Force

The Central Reserve Police Force also known as CRPF is a paramilitary security agency/Force functioning under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA), Government of India. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and contain insurgency. It came into existence as the Crown Representative's Police on 27 July 1939. After Indian Independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on enactment of the CRPF Act on 28 December 1949.

Besides Law and Order and counter-insurgency duties, the role of CRPF in the General Elections, held repeatedly during the past few years, has been very significant and vital. This is especially true for the trouble-ridden states of [Jammu and Kashmir|J&K], [Bihar] and in the North East. During the Parliamentary elections of September 1999, the CRPF played a major role in the security arrangements. The CRPF is the largest paramilitary force in the world[1] with 210 battalions besides various establishments. Of late, CRPF contingents are also being deployed in UN missions.The CRPF is headed by a Director general who is an Indian Police Service officer and is divided into ten administrative sectors, each headed by an Inspector General. Each Sector consists of one or more administrative and/or Operational Ranges, headed by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police. Now, Group Centres are also headed by DIGs.

There are 210 CRPF battalions of approximately 720 constables each. Each battalion is commanded by an officer designated as Commandant, and consists of seven CRPF companies, each comprising of 135 Men . Each company is headed by an Assistant Commandant.

The Home Ministry is planning to increase the strength of the force by adding 35 more battalions(30,000 personnel approx.) in the coming years.

Training Institutions of CRPF
The role of Central Reserve Police Force being multifaceted, the Force is being employed for variety of tasks varying from providing aid to the State Administration in maintenance of Law and Order, Static guard duties to protect vulnerable areas and very important persons, to actively fighting insurgents and anti-social elements in different parts of the country. Frequent movements and ever changing tasks of the Force demand very high state of training. The training is imparted in the form of basic, promotional and instructional/specialised courses at various training institutions as follows The Internal Security Academy is located at Mount Abu, a hill station of Rajasthan, in the Aravali ranges, it is one of the premier Police training Institution in the Country which impart basic foundation training to Gazetted Officers of the Central Reserve Police Force and a few other CPMFs of the Country. The Academy also conducts various in-service courses for the officers of the CRPF.
Set up in 1975 under the aegis of Central Reserve Police Force, Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, the Academy also conducts Internal Security Courses and organise seminars for Senior Police Officers and Executive Magistrates of various States and UTs.