IPS and CAPFs must work together for the nation’s security and integrity

Yashovardhan Jha Azad

The recent legislative clarification on the command and leadership structure of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) should have settled a long-running debate. Yet, the discussion continues, often framed as an ‘IPS victory’ or as a measure imposed upon CAPF officers contrary to the spirit of judicial pronouncements. Such characterisations miss the larger issue. The question was never about institutional prestige. It was, and remains, about what best serves India’s internal security architecture.

The decision to retain IPS leadership in the CAPFs is neither a concession to one service nor a denial of the legitimate aspirations of another. It reflects a considered assessment of India’s security needs, the historical purpose for which the CAPFs were created, and the integrated framework through which internal security has been managed since Independence. The debate must therefore move beyond sectional interests and focus on national interest.

The Historical Foundations

The origins of India’s central police forces predate Independence. The force that would eventually become the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) traces its lineage to the Crown Representative’s Police established in 1939. The leadership model adopted from the beginning was one in which officers of the Imperial Police—predecessors of today’s Indian Police Service (IPS)—commanded these forces.

COMBAT DRILL CRPF soldiers during their raising day parade in July 2025

This was not accidental. The central forces were conceived as instruments of national authority that would operate across provinces and later across states. Their role required coordination with local administrations, district authorities, intelligence agencies, and police organisations. The officer corps that possessed such exposure and experience was the Imperial Police and, subsequently, the IPS.

After Independence, India inherited not merely institutions but also serious security challenges—Partition violence, princely state integration, insurgencies, communal disturbances, and border conflicts. The CAPFs expanded steadily to meet these challenges. Throughout this period, IPS officers continued to provide leadership because they brought a unique combination of field policing, administrative authority, and inter-governmental coordination. The rationale that existed in 1947 remains equally relevant in 2026.