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IPS appointments in CAPFs continue despite Supreme Court order against the move
Despite a Supreme Court ruling to 'progressively reduce' the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), the Union Home Ministry continues to appoint IPS officers to senior posts.
Since May 23, 2025, when the Supreme Court ruled that Group A officers of CAPFs are 'Organised Services' for 'all purposes,' at least eight appointments of IPS officers in the rank of Commandant to Inspector Generals in the CAPFs have been made by the Ministry.
In the Sanjay Prakash & Others versus Union of India case, the court ruled that the deputation posts of IPS officers in the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) or up to the rank of Inspector General in CAPFs should be 'progressively reduced over a period of time, say within an outer limit of two years.'
The counsel for the petitioners have now written to the Home Ministry, the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT), and the Director General of all CAPFs that the ongoing appointments are in contempt of the court judgment.
In 2021, Group A officers of the CAPFs approached the apex court seeking Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU), cadre review and restructuring and amendment of recruitment rules to eliminate IPS deputation and allow internal promotions up to SAG.
Reduce IPS dominance
Presently, 20% posts in the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and 50% posts in the rank of Inspector General (IG) in CAPFs are reserved for IPS officers. The court's decision would significantly reduce the IPS dominance in CAPFs.
Around 13,000 CAPF officers were likely to benefit from the judgment leading to faster promotions.
The Home Ministry is the cadre controlling authority for CAPFs and the IPS.
The CAPFs comprise the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Due to a large number of posts being reserved for IPS officers, CAPF officers suffer stagnation in services and on an average an officer who joins as Assistant Commandant (AC) takes 25 years to be promoted as a Commandant, whereas he or she should attain the seniority in 13 years.
A CAPF official said that before the judgment, the IPS officers were being appointed to the ranks of DIG and IGPs, but on June 25, the Ministry appointed a 2016 batch IPS officer of Tripura cadre as Commandant, equivalent to Superintendent of Police rank, in the Sashatra Seema Bal (SSB).
Though there is a provision in the SSB Act to depute IPS officers to the post of a Commandant, the order was unusual as it is very rare for an SP rank IPS officer to come to CAPF on deputation.
As on June 23, there were 69 sanctioned posts for IPS at the rank of IGP in BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB and ITBP, out of which 56 were occupied. Out of 117 DIG posts for IPS officers, 24 posts were vacant.
