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.
The various States have different titles for their armed police units. In addition to the general term "Armed Police", other titles in different states include Special Armed Police, Armed Constabulary, Provincial Armed Constabulary and State Military Police. Although the titles are different, their organisation, weapons, equipment and tasks are broadly the same. The central government of India now refers to these forces nationwide as the State Armed Police Forces and discourages use of the term "paramilitary". However, this terminology does not necessarily coincide with the existing terminology of the states of India; For example, the state of Bihar calls its state armed police force "Military Police", which clashes with central government definitions of "military" and "paramilitary". It is not yet clear whether such discrepancies will be resolved.
The State Armed Police act as a mobile armed reserve activated only on the orders from the Deputy inspector general of police or above. They are not usually in contact with the public except during public events, civil unrest, and natural disasters. They maintain key guard posts and participate in antiterrorist operations. Depending on the type of assignment, they may be or may not be carrying firearms.
Within states, each police district may maintain its own teams of policemen with higher firearms competence. Such teams, known as "District Armed Police or District Armed Reserve", are for purely local use led by commandant or deputy commandant, functions under the respective district police chiefs.
The State Armed Police Forces are headed by an Additional Director General of Police, who is the controlling authority and assisted by Inspectors General of police, Deputy Inspectors general of police, with the overall control of Director General of Police & State Police Chief. The SAPFs are typically organized into battalions or companies, each battalion is commanded by a "Commandant" of the rank of Superintendent of Police. The commandant is assisted by deputy commandants and assistant commandants. The structure of SAPFs are vary from state to state. The normal structure is given below;
The Armed Police battalions in the State will be led by an officer holding the rank of Additional Director General of Police. This officer will be responsible for the administration, training, operational preparedness, and welfare of personnel across all armed police units in the State. They will operate under the overall guidance and supervision of the Director General of Police.
A Commandant, equivalent in rank to Superintendent of Police, shall head each Armed Police Battalion. The Commandant may be assisted by a Second-in-Command also known as Deputy Commandant, equivalent in rank to Additional Superintendent of Police. Each Battalion may be divided into appropriate number of Companies and a Headquarters Company, each of which will be headed by an Assistant Commandant, equivalent in rank to Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Hierarchy of State Armed Police Forces
Additional Director General of Police
Inspector General of Police
Deputy Inspector General of Police
Commandant (equivalent to the rank of SP)
Deputy Commandant/Second-in command (equivalent to the rank of Addl.SP)
Assistant Commandant (equivalent to the rank of DySP)
Armed Police Inspector
Armed Police Sub Inspector
Armed Police Assistant Sub Inspector
Havildar/Head constable
Armed Police Constable
Functions and duties
To assist the district police in maintenance of law and order.
To guard vulnerable points and vital installations.
VIP security: to provide escorts, static guards, and gunmen to threatened persons.
To perform bank security duties.
To perform elections, law and order duties in other states.
To provide force for duties such as celebration of festivals/fairs and special operations against anti-social/terrorist elements.
Disaster management - natural & manmade.
To perform out of state duty whenever desired by the government.
Bihar Military Police
The Bihar Military Police is the state armed police force for the Bihar Police with headquarters at Patna led by CAPFs officer on deputation. It is frequently involved in clashes with Maoist rebels. The force has been expanded since 2006 to deal with the Maoist insurgency. It has 16 Battalions with approximately 1,000 personnel in each, from Bihar Military Police 1 to Bihar Military Police 16.
Bihar Military Police 1 Gorkha Battalion is a Reserved Battalion mainly compromising of Indian domiciled Gorkhas. They are used for high level security duties, protecting the governor and others. Its headquarters is in Patna with nearly 1,500 serving personnel. Bihar Military Police 16 is a battalion recruiting only retired Indian Army soldiers.
Chhattisgarh Armed Police
Special Task Force was raised in the year 2007 for battling Maoist insurgents in Chhattisgarh. Headquartered in Baghera of Durg district, the force has hubs coming up in the districts of Kanker, Sukma, Bijapur and Bastar.[2][3]
District Reserve Guard was formed by recruiting local tribal boys to counter the Naxals.[4][5]
Danteshwari Ladake, women commando unit of District Reserve Guard.[6][7]
Haryana Armed Police, headquartered at Madhuban, is the state armed police force of Haryana Police for Haryana state. It has five battalions, each with a sanctioned strength of 903 headcount. Three battalions are based at Madhuban, one in Ambala and one in Hisar. On 1 November 1966, six armed battalions were transferred to Haryana from Punjab, four were absorbed into Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force, and two remained with Haryana. The Haryana Armed Police includes the State Police Band.[9]
1st Battalion Haryana Armed Police, Ambala, transferred to Haryana in 1966 at the time of formation of Haryana.[9]
2nd Battalion Haryana Armed Police, Madhuban, transferred in 1966.[9]
3rd Battalion Haryana Armed Police, Hisar, raised in 1969.[9]
4th Battalion Haryana Armed Police, Madhuban, raised on 14 Sept 1973, includes Mounted Armed Police (90 headcount).[9]
5th Battalion Haryana Armed Police, Madhuban.
Jharkhand Armed Police
Jharkhand Armed Police was created to counter Naxalism in the state led by IPS officer on deputation.[10]
Karnataka State Reserve Police
In Karnataka, the state armed police of wing of Karnataka Police trace their origins to the erstwhile Mysore State Imperial Service led by CAPF officers on deputation.
The armed police of Karnataka are led by CAPFs officer on deputation:
District Armed Reserve for each district
City Armed Reserve in the four commissionerates in the State namely Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mangaluru and Hubli-Dharwad
Special Task Force
Karnataka Armed Reserve Mounted Police - headquarters at Mysuru
Coastal Security Police
Government Railway Police
The Karnataka State Reserve Police is headed by an officer of the rank of additional director general of police, who is assisted by an inspector general and two deputy inspectors general of police at the police headquarters. The Karnataka State Reserve Police consists of 10 battalions. Four Battalions have their headquarters at Bengaluru and one each at Mysuru, Belagavi, Kalaburgi, Mangaluru, Shivamogga and Shiggoan.
Training Schools:
Karnataka State Reserve Police Training School, Munirabad.
Armed Police Training School, Bengaluru.
The Coastal Security Police was established in the year 1999. The wing is headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police, followed by Superintendent of Police & other staff. The CSP exercises jurisdiction over the territorial coastal waters of Karnataka from Talapady in Dakshina Kannada District to Sadashivgad in Uttara Kannada District covering about 320km.
Kerala Armed Police
In Kerala, the Kerala Armed Police trace their origins to the early stages of the Kerala Police. Armed police battalions act as a reserve force for deployment whenever and wherever the District Police is short of manpower in maintaining law and order. There are 11 battalions spread over the state, with a combined strength of 6,755 personnel.[11]
Kerala Armed Police Battalions (KAP) (numbered I to V)
Special Armed Police (SAP)
Rapid Response and Rescue Force (RRRF)
Kerala Armed Women Police Battalion
India Reserve Battalion (IRBn)
State Industrial Security Force (SISF)
The "Additional Director General of Police, Armed Police Battalions", is the controlling authority who is assisted by the "Deputy Inspector General of Police, Armed Police Battalions". Each Battalion is under the control of a "Commandant" with the rank of Superintendent of Police.
The Special Armed Police was formed in 1955 by the then Travancore-Cochin government with its headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram. Besides law and order duties in the southern range, Special Armed Police personnel are assigned to guard duties at the Raj Bhavan (Governor's House), Police Headquarters, etc. For the welfare of their personnel, the special armed police have a canteen, a gymnasium, a hospital with lab facilities and a nursery school. At present this battalion has a strength of seven companies.
Madhya Pradesh Special Armed Police
The main objective of Madhya Pradesh Special Armed Police, the state armed wing of Madhya Pradesh Police, is to maintain Law and Order in the state of Madhya Pradesh leade by CAPFs officers on deputation. The responsibility of this Special Armed Force to look after the law and arrangement and also to control the areas affected by Naxalites, Social Courtesies, removal of bandits. They are active in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and in the States of South in an anti-terrorism role. Other than this they are deployed in the event of natural disasters.
Odisha's state armed police are called the Odisha Special Armed Police. They were formed in 1946 as the Odisha Military Police, and the current name was adopted in 1980. There are currently 8 regular battalions and one reserve battalion. The headquarters of the SAP is at state Police Headquarters in Cuttack. The force is under the general control and direction of the Director General and the Inspector General of Police.
The Odisha Military Police was formed on 1 March 1946 by the Odisha Military Police Act (Odisha Act VII of 1946). Soon after its creation this force had to handle serious situations in places like Bhadrak, Ib, Barang, Rampur, Cuttack etc. Due to strenuous nature of work of the military police and need for more personnel its strength was increased in 1947 and 1948. The strength was further increased with the formation of a Gurkha Military Police unit. On 1 March 1948, after a merging of 27 princely states into the Province of Odisha, there was a re-organisation of the police organisation and the 2nd Battalion of the Odisha Military police was established. This battalion had both Gurkha and Odia companies. While the battalion headquarters was at Dhenkanal, two detachments of this battalion were stationed at Nayagarh and Jharsuguda. Subsequently, other battalions were formed in different parts of the state.
SOG (Special Operations Group) is the Specialist element of the Odisha Police. The SOG was formed in August 2004 on the orders of the Government of Odisha Home office with the objective of neutralising any terrorist, insurgent, extremist or illegal armed groups operating in Odisha. The SOG originally had 462 regular active posts which by 2009 had grown to 1,370 personnel. It does not recruit personnel directly, instead personnel are drawn from various state police units and the assignments are based on tenures with a maximum period of 3 years. It also allows hiring of operatives from the armed forces, central paramilitary forces and police units of other states. Operatives receive training at a special school in Chandaka and also from the Indian army based in Jabalpur. The main role of the SOG is counter-insurgency operations but handling hostage situations and hijackings also come under its responsibility. It works closely with the Special Intelligence Wing of the Odisha Police.
Punjab Armed Police
The Punjab Armed Police is the state armed police wing of Punjab Police. PAP have their headquarters at Jalandhar in Punjab. This is where armed policemen of the Punjab are trained. Before the Border Security Force came into existence, PAP used to protect the most sensitive border of the country common with Pakistan. PAP Jawans have a number of international players in hockey, weight lifting, volleyball, kabaddi, etc. The campus is in a huge area and is complete in itself in the areas of housing, sports grounds, training equipment, halls, schools, hospital, swimming pool etc.
The operational PAP units are:
7th Battalion, headquartered at PAP Jalandhar Cantt
The Rajasthan Armed Constabulary is the state armed police wing of Rajasthan Police in Rajasthan. Soon after the independence, the law and order situation along the newly formed 1070km India-Pakistan border became a serious problem. Incursions and cattle lifting by Pakistani raiders was a regular feature and it became imperative to put an end to it. In 1949–50, the duty of guarding the border was assigned to the joint forces of the Central Reserve Police Force and the Provincial Armed Constabulary, which continued until 1952.
In 1952, the Government of Rajasthan decided to raise a temporary special force that could not only be deployed along the border but also assist the civil police in combating the armed banditry known as "dacoity". The first headquarters and training centre was established at Bharatpur in 1952 and five battalions were raised from ex-soldiers, police, and from other sources outside Rajasthan. Each battalion consisted of six mobile companies and one company remained at the battalion headquarters. These battalions were then dispatched to the border areas of Sriganganagar, Raisinghnagar, Barmer, and Jaisalmer. One unit was stationed at Ghat Gate, Jaipur to combat dacoity.
Within a year of its inception, the RAC proved its worth both on the border and within the State by successfully carrying out its various duties. The members of RAC displayed gallantry and a high sense of morale on occasions that required courage, perseverance, and devotion to duty. Its men battled against all odds, combating not only the enemy but also facing the rigours of the desert areas devoid even of the bare necessities of life.
The RAC continued as a temporary force until 1958, thereafter it was made permanent. In 1962, two companies were drawn from each unit, and the 6th Battalion was formed. From that year up to the late 1970s, more battalions of RAC were raised as demanded by the situation. India saw two wars with Pakistan and one with China and there was unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, NEFA, as well as Mizoram. RAC battalions were dispatched to these sensitive areas and earned accolades for their courage and efficiency. Later, seven of these RAC battalions were merged into the Indian Border Security Force and two into the Central Reserve Police Force.
The RAC has formed various specialist units along with its regular battalions.
In 1998, a Special Task Force, along the lines of the Rapid Action Force of C.R.P.F., was formed to maintain peace in the sensitive districts of Rajasthan. These companies are trained and fully equipped to handle mass riots.
The training imparted to the select RAC companies is decided as per requirements. There are 3 companies of RAC, which have drawn expert swimmers from various R.A.C. battalions and are being trained for flood relief work.
There are currently fifteen battalions of RAC including one special battalion formed of only female Constables called the Hadi Rani Mahila Battalion and one further battalion of MBC held as the States para-military force. Out of the 14 regular battalions of RAC, 11 battalions are deployed in Rajasthan while 3 are deployed to Delhi.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Provincial Armed Constabulary or Pradeshik Armed Constabulary is an armed reserve force maintained at key locations across the state and active only on orders from the deputy inspector general and higher-level authorities.[12] UPPAC consists of several battalions located in different cities across the state as a wing of Uttar Pradesh Police. Each battalion has seven to eight companies consisting of 150 to 200 Jawans headed by Commandant. It is usually assigned to VIP protection duties or to maintain order and assist 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 anti-terrorist operations. The Provincial Armed Constabulary usually carries only lathis and Light Machine Gun. The UPPAC is headed by the Director General Provincial Armed Constabulary. UPPAC was established in 1952 before that it was known as the United Provinces Military Force or Uttar Pradesh Military Force. In the Year 1952 UPPAC came into existence with its current name. UPPAC has pretty good firepower in terms of weapons or strength. In UP there are Three zones of the UPPAC. Western Zone, Central Zone, and Eastern Zone. Each Zone Headed by ADG/IG.
there are almost 30-35 Battalion in UP. in different locations.[13][14]
In 1962–73, four new battalions of UPPAC were raised from the Garhwali and Kumaoni community. Apart from that, The 46th Battalion called the Task Force existed till 1998, with the special task to fight Dacoits and Insurgents. On achieving its goal, it was again converted to normal PAC Battalion, presently located at Rudrapur.
West Bengal Armed Police Forces
The state of West Bengal has the most extensive armed police organisation and structure in the country. Unlike other states of India, the state of West Bengal has two separate police jurisdictions, that of the West Bengal Police, and that of the Kolkata Police Force. It therefore has two separate state armed police structures, one for each jurisdiction.
The Eastern Frontier Rifles were founded as the Frontier Protection Force by the East India Company at some point in the second half of the 18th century, and have had their current title since 1920. The Eastern Frontier Rifles fought in the Second World War, and, as the Bengal Military Police, in the First World War.
18th century: Founded as Frontier Protection Force.
1795: Renamed Ramgarh Local Battalion
1861: Renamed Frontier Guards
1891: Renamed Bengal Military Police, modernised, & given up-to-date weaponry (NB: An unrelated unit had previously used the same title)
1920: Reorganised and renamed Eastern Frontier Rifles
Many contingents of the Eastern Frontier Rifles are kept deployed in various disturbed areas of the state. However, in recent years the force has been used for day-to-day law and order duties. Their headquarters is at Salua, near Kharagpur.
Like the armed police forces of many states, the Eastern Frontier Rifles are currently challenged with the Naxalite insurgency. In February 2010 an Eastern Frontier Rifles camp called Silda was attacked and burnt down by Maoist rebels, resulting in 24 riflemen killed out of a detachment of about fifty. This resulted in condemnation of the state government by the unit's Special Inspector General, Benoy Chakraborty, who claimed his force was "mis-used" and "ill-treated". Morale in the force is believed to be low.[15]
Kolkata Armed Police
The Kolkata Armed Police are West Bengal's state armed police force for operations in Kolkata. It is part of the Kolkata Police Force and consists of eight battalions, and three special units. The special units are the Rapid Action Force, the Special Action Force (approx. 160 members) and the Commando Force (approximately 200 members) and also have Combat Force.
Apart from this, Mizoram Armed Police also use a large number of firearms captured from militants including the G3 Rifle, M16 Rifle, Dragunov Sniper Rifle etc.
Military police (MP) are law enforcement agencies connected with, or part of, the military of a state. In wartime operations, the military police may support the main fighting force with force protection, convoy security, screening, rear reconnaissance, logistic traffic management, counterinsurgency, and detainee handling.
The Border Security Force (BSF) is a Central Armed Police Force in India. It's primary role is of a border guarding organisation at India's borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is under Ministry of Home Affairs and was formed in the wake of the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 "for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for connected matters therewith".
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a Central Armed Police Force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the States and Union Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and provide Internal security. It is composed of Central Reserve Police Force (Regular) and Central Reserve Police Force (Auxiliary).
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is a border guarding force of India deployed along its borders with Tibet Autonomous Region. It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces, established in 1962 in the aftermath of the Sino-Indian War of 1962.
Law enforcement in India is imperative to keep justice and order in the nation. Indian law is enforced by a number of agencies. Unlike many federal nations, the constitution of India delegates the maintenance of law and order primarily to the states and territories.
The Malabar Special Police (MSP) is an armed police battalion of the State Police of Kerala, India. MSP is headquartered in Malappuram, Kerala. The unit also trains new recruits and also helps the local police to maintain law and order during emergencies. During emergencies, this unit forms the riot police platoons fully equipped with riot gear. This police unit is known for its extraordinarily tough training, and the high quality of its firing and military drills. The MSP, initially known as Malappuram Special Police, originated in 1884 as a paramilitary unit tasked with managing the Malabar rebellion under British rule. Richard Hitchcock, the district superintendent of police for South Malabar at that time, advocated for the creation of this battalion, modeled after an Indian Infantry battalion.
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is a paramilitary force responsible for the border security of Bangladesh. The BGB is entrusted with the responsibility to defend the 4,427 kilometres (2,751 mi) border of Bangladesh with India and Myanmar. It was formerly known as the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR).
The Rajasthan Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Rajasthan in India. The Rajasthan Police has its headquarters in the Jaipur, the state capital. The motto of the force is "committed to serve".
The West Bengal Police is one of the two police forces of the Indian state of West Bengal. The other being the Kolkata Police, which has a separate jurisdiction across Kolkata.
The Karnataka State Police is the law enforcement agency for the Indian state of Karnataka. It was established in 1965 and is headquartered in Bengaluru, the capital city of Karnataka. The KSP is a state police force that works under the purview of the Department of Home Affairs, Government of Karnataka. The department is headed by the Director General and Inspector General of Police.
The Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) are a State Armed Police Force for the Indian state of West Bengal. They are a part of the West Bengal Police, as opposed to the Kolkata jurisdiction. The Border Guards Bangladesh are descended from the portion of the Eastern Frontier Rifles given to Pakistan during the partitioning of 1947.
A field force in British, Indian Army and Tanzanian military parlance is a combined arms land force operating under actual or assumed combat circumstances, usually for the length of a specific military campaign. It is used by other nations, but can have a different meaning.
Sashastra Seema Bal is a border guarding force of India deployed along its borders with Nepal and Bhutan. It is one of the seven Central Armed Police Forces under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The Odisha Police abbreviated as either OP or OPS, is the law enforcement agency for the state of Odisha in India. It is headquartered in Cuttack, the former capital of Odisha. The Odisha Police is headed by a Director General of Police, currently Sunil Kumar Bansal, IPS and falls under the purview of the state's Home Department of the Government of Odisha. The sanctioned personnel strength of Odisha Police is 72,145; comprising women as one-third of its total sanctioned strength in the directly recruited posts of civil constable, sub-inspector and deputy superintendent of police. This feat makes it one of the foremost in that aspect among the police services of India.
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.
In India, the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) is the collective designation for the central police organizations under the Ministry of Home Affairs. These forces, previously known as the Central Para-Military Forces, are technically paramilitary in nature. Since 2011, the term "central armed police forces" has been adopted, replacing the term "paramilitary." The CAPF is responsible for internal security and border protection. Each force within the CAPF is led by a Director General (DG), typically an officer from the Indian Police Service (IPS), with the exception of the Assam Rifles, which is headed by a Lieutenant General-ranked officer from the Indian Army.
The Mewar Bhil Corps is a state armed police force of the Rajasthan Police. The Corps was originally raised by the British Indian government as a military unit along similar lines as units such as the Merwara Battalion and Malwa Bhil Corps. The Corps operated as a regular unit of the British Indian Army until 1938; since then it has been maintained as a para-military force.
The Punjab Constabulary is a law enforcement agency in Pakistan which is responsible to maintain peace in Punjab Province by assisting Punjab Police. IG Police is the provincial police officer and heads all subordinate police units. Punjab Constabulary is a police unit working under the command of Commandant. It takes actions to maintain law and order in the province and participate in different rescue operations. Punjab Constabulary is reserve police which provides security to different personalities and guards are deputed at different sensitive buildings all over the Punjab.
In India, the police forces of the states and union territories are responsible for law enforcement in the states and union territories. Police and Public Order are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India.
The Civil Armed Forces (CAF) are a group of nine paramilitary, uniformed organisations, separate and distinct from the regular "military" Pakistan Armed Forces. They are responsible for maintaining internal security, helping law enforcement agencies, border control, counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism, riot control, and anti-smuggling under the Ministry of Interior. They frequently operate alongside the Pakistani military in response to natural disasters. During times of war they can have their command transferred to the Ministry of Defence, and effectively combined to form a reserve force for the Pakistani military.
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