New Delhi: The Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, which provides a common framework for recruitment and conditions of service of Group-A general duty officers and other officers in the CAPFs, came into force on Thursday.
The CAPF Act provides for regulation of recruitment, promotion, deputation and other conditions of service of officers in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
In a notification issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs said, “The Central Government hereby appoints the 08th day of October, 2026, as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force.”
Under the legislation, 50 per cent of the posts in the rank of inspector general are to be filled through deputation from the Indian Police Service (IPS), while a minimum of 67 per cent of posts at the additional director general level are to be filled through deputation.
The posts in the ranks of special director general and director general are to be filled through deputation only.
The Act comes against the backdrop of a Supreme Court judgment on the deputation of IPS officers in the CAPFs. In October last year, the apex court dismissed the Centre’s plea seeking a review of its 2025 verdict, which directed that IPS deputation in the CAPFs up to the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) level should be “progressively reduced”.
The court had said the number of posts earmarked for deputation in CAPF cadres up to the SAG level should be progressively reduced over a period of time, with an outer limit of two years, and had directed a cadre review.
The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the legislation said the expanding functional and operational requirements of the CAPFs had resulted in a distinct organisational structure for the forces.
“In recent years, due to the absence of an umbrella law, regulatory provisions have evolved in a fragmented manner, resulting in several litigation on service-related matters, leading to some functional and administrative difficulties,” it said.
The law replaces the fragmented framework governing service matters with a common legislative framework for Group-A general duty officers and other officers in the five CAPFs.
A group of retired CAPF officers had also approached the Supreme Court with a contempt plea against then Home Secretary Govind Mohan over alleged non-implementation of the apex court’s October 2025 order.
The group had said any legislative intervention affecting the command structure, service conditions and leadership opportunities within the CAPFs would have implications for institutional morale and the operational effectiveness of forces responsible for internal security and border security.
