The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The CRPF assists states and Union Territories in maintaining law and order and internal security. It is composed of the Central Reserve Police Force (Regular) and Central Reserve Police Force (Auxiliary).
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is responsible for guarding India’s border with Tibet. It was formed in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
The Assam Rifles (AR) is a Paramilitary force of India responsible for border security, counter-insurgency, and maintaining law and order in Northeast India and in Jammu & Kashmir in lines of Rashtriya Rifles. Its primary duty involves guarding the Indo-Myanmar border. The AR is one of the Oldest Central Para-military Forces of India administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs while operational control rests with Indian Army. As a central paramilitary force, its recruitment, perks, promotions, and retirement policies are governed by Assam Rifles Regulations. Approximately 80 percent of the officers are deputed from the Army, while the remaining are drawn from the AR cadre. The AR is commanded by the Director General of the Assam Rifles, appointed by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Law enforcement in India is imperative to keep justice and order in the nation. Indian law is enforced by a number of agencies. India has a multi-layered law enforcement structure with both federal and state/union territory level agencies, including specialized ones with specific jurisdictions. Unlike many federal nations, the constitution of India delegates the maintenance of law and order primarily to the states and territories.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. CISF's primary mission is to provide security to large institutions, be it state or privately-owned.
The Punjab Police is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the state of Punjab, India. The Punjab Police has a broad array of specialised services, including the prevention and detection of crime, maintenance of law and order and the enforcement of the Constitution of India. Its headquarters are located at Jan Marg, Chandigarh. On 7 September 2011, Punjab Police started a video conferencing service to redress problems of NRIs. The present DGP of the Punjab Police is Gaurav Yadav. He is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the 1992 batch.
The Rajasthan Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Rajasthan, India with its headquarters in Jaipur, the state capital. The motto of the police force is "committed to serve".
The Ministry of Home Affairs, or simply the Home Ministry, is a ministry of the Government of India. It is mainly responsible for the maintenance of internal security and domestic policy. It is headed by the minister of home affairs.
The Delhi Police (DP) is the law enforcement agency for the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Delhi Police comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. In 2024, sanctioned strength of Delhi Police was 83,762 (including I.R. Battalions) making it one of the largest metropolitan police forces in the world. About 25% of Delhi Police strength is earmarked for VIP security.
Police services in India comprises the Indian Police Service (IPS), DANIPS, and Pondicherry Police Service recruited by the central government, along with various State Police Services recruited by state governments. As policing is a state subject, the structure and organization of police forces vary across states. In most state police forces, ranks below Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) are considered subordinates, while DSP and above are supervisory ranks. These officers are organized in a structured hierarchical order.
COBRA is a special operation unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India proficient in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. Originally established to counter the Naxalite movement, CoBRA is deployed to address insurgent groups engaging in asymmetrical warfare. Numbering ten battalions as of 2011, CoBRA is considered to be one of the most experienced and successful law enforcement units in the country.
The Assam Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Assam in India. A regular police force was initiated in Assam by the British after the Treaty of Yandaboo to maintain the law and order. It functions under the Department of Home Affairs, Assam. The headquarters of Assam Police is situated at Ulubari in the state capital Guwahati.
The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) consist of seven armed police organizations under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, tasked with maintaining internal security, law and order, counterinsurgency, and protecting borders. Previously referred to as "paramilitary" forces, the term was officially discontinued in 2011.
The State Armed Police Forces of India are the police units established for dealing with serious law and order situations requiring a higher level of armed expertise than normal. The State Armed Police Forces exist in addition to the ordinary police services of the various states.
Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary (UP-PAC) or Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) is an armed police of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is maintained at key locations across the state and active only on orders from the Deputy Inspector General and higher-level authorities. It is usually assigned to VIP duty or to maintain law and order during fairs, festivals, athletic events, elections, and natural disasters. They are also deployed to quell outbreaks of student or labor unrest, organized crime, and communal riots; to maintain key guard posts; and to participate in antiterrorist operations. The Provincial Armed Constabulary is equipped with INSAS semi automatic guns and usually carries only lathis while controlling the mob during unrests. UP-PAC consists of a total of 20,000 personnel as of 2005, composed of 33 battalions located in different cities across the state as a wing of Uttar Pradesh Police. Each battalion is commanded by a Commanding Officer(CO) who is usually an IPS officer of Senior Superintendent rank, and has seven to eight companies consisting of 120 to 150 Jawans, each company headed by a State Police officer of Inspector rank, who is usually referred to as company commander in the PAC and below company there are 3 platoons consisting of 40-50 Jawans, each platoon is usually headed by a Sub-Inspector rank state police officer. The PAC is headed by the Additional Director General Provincial Armed Constabulary.
The clashes between the Jat and Muslim communities in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh, India. By date 17 September, the curfew was lifted from all riot affected areas and the army was also withdrawn.
The 1987 Meerut riots were a series of violent communal disturbances between Hindus and Muslims in the northern Uttar Pradesh town Meerut which occurred from March to June 1987, which resulted in the death of more than 350 people. Nearly half of that number was made up of almost 180 Muslims from Hashimpura and Maliana who were killed by members of the UP Provincial Armed Constabulary in actions after the initial rioting.
On 25 August 2017, widespread rioting in northern India broke out after Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the religious leader of Dera Sacha Sauda (DSS), was convicted of rape. The riots began in Panchkula and later spread to other parts of the northern Indian states of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and the capital, New Delhi. At least 41 people were killed, the majority of them in Panchkula, where 32 people were allegedly killed by police gunfire. More than 300 others were injured.
Crowd control in Jammu and Kashmir is a public security practice to prevent and manage violent riots. It is enforced by police forces through laws preventing unlawful assembly, as well as using riot control agents such as tear gas, chili grenades, and pellet guns.
Indian Armed Forces in Jammu and Kashmir encompass the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, tri-service units such as the Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), and paramilitary organisations of the Central Armed Police Forces such as the Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Sashastra Seema Bal and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. Each three wings of India's military have their special forces deployed in the region including Indian Army's Para SF, the Indian Navy MARCOS and the Indian Air Force's Garud Commando Force. Apart from this, there is the elite police anti-insurgency force in the region, the Special Operations Group, of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
