Over 3,000 Serving CAPF Officers Move Supreme Court, Challenge Provisions of CAPF Act Affecting Promotions
More than 3,000 serving Group ‘A’ cadre officers from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have approached the Supreme Court challenging key provisions of the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, contending that the legislation effectively nullifies the Court’s landmark 2025 judgment on their service rights and career progression. The petitions mark one of the largest coordinated legal challenges by serving officers of India’s paramilitary forces.
The petitioners, drawn from the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP and SSB, argue that the new Act reverses the benefits granted by the Supreme Court in May 2025, when it recognized the Group ‘A’ Executive cadres of the five CAPFs as Organised Group ‘A’ Services (OGAS) and directed the Union Government to progressively reduce the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to senior posts. They contend that Parliament has enacted a law that effectively overrides the judicial directions by reserving a substantial number of senior positions for IPS officers on deputation.
According to the petitions, the Act adversely affects the promotional prospects of nearly 13,000 CAPF cadre officers, many of whom allegedly wait 15 to 16 years for their first promotion, while IPS officers on deputation continue to occupy key leadership positions. The officers claim that this prolonged stagnation has severely impacted morale, career progression and administrative efficiency within the forces.
The petitioners have challenged provisions that empower the Central Government to prescribe the proportion of senior posts to be filled through IPS deputation. They argue that these provisions violate Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution, which guarantee equality before the law and equal opportunity in public employment. The officers also contend that the legislation defeats the purpose of the Supreme Court’s earlier judgment by legislatively restoring the very system that the Court had directed the Government to reform.
The controversy centres on the Act’s framework for senior appointments, under which a significant share of Inspector General (IG) and Additional Director General (ADG) posts, along with all Special Director General (SDG) and Director General (DG) posts, may continue to be occupied by IPS officers on deputation. Critics argue that this leaves limited avenues for promotion of career CAPF officers despite decades of operational service.
The Union Government has maintained that the legislation creates a uniform statutory framework for the administration of the CAPFs and harmonises judicial directions with operational and administrative requirements. Supporters of the Act argue that IPS deputation promotes coordination between the CAPFs, State Police and other security agencies, while ensuring experienced leadership in matters of national security.
The Supreme Court is expected to examine whether the challenged provisions are consistent with constitutional guarantees and whether Parliament, through the 2026 Act, has validly altered the legal framework following the Court’s 2025 judgment. The outcome of the case is likely to have far-reaching implications for the service structure, leadership model and promotional avenues of thousands of officers serving in India’s Central Armed Police Forces.
