The Centre had earlier told the court that the deputation of IPS officers was necessary to maintain the operational readiness of the forces and to ensure Centre-State coordination. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Union Government has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against its May 23 ruling directing a “progressive reduction” in the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
A Bench of Justices A.S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan had ruled that IPS deputation posts in the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) — up to the rank of Inspector General — be reduced “progressively over a period of time, say within an outer limit of two years.” Justice Oka has since demitted office.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) submitted the review petition on July 11, more than six weeks after the judgement, a government source confirmed. Despite the order, the MHA has continued to appoint IPS officers to senior positions, with at least eight appointments from Commandant to Inspector General ranks having been made since May 23.
The top court had held that Group A officers of the CAPFs constitute “Organised Services” for “all purposes”, effectively recognising their demand for a structured promotional pathway within their own cadre.
A senior CAPF official said the review petition could have wide-ranging implications. “The petition will impact the formulation of service rules and cadre review of all CAPFs. The judgement was arrived at after several years of hearing,” the official said.
The case dates back to 2015, when Group A officers of the CAPFs approached the court seeking Non Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU), cadre review, restructuring, and changes to recruitment rules to eliminate IPS deputation and enable internal promotions to SAG.
At present, 20% of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) posts and 50% of Inspector General (IG) posts in CAPFs are reserved for IPS officers. If implemented, the May 23 judgment would significantly curtail IPS dominance in the CAPFs.
The CAPFs include the Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Sashastra Seema Bal, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police. The MHA is the cadre-controlling authority for both IPS and CAPF officers.
The petitioners had argued that stagnation had severely impacted morale. “Assistant Commandants who joined the service 15 years ago are yet to get a promotion as there are no vacancies in the senior grade. IPS officers who come on deputation from States occupy these posts,” said the CAPF official. An estimated 13,000 officers were likely to benefit from the ruling, leading to expedited promotions.
The Centre had earlier told the court that the deputation of IPS officers was necessary to maintain the operational readiness of the forces and to ensure Centre-State coordination. “Being an armed force of the Union, the purpose is to keep each of the CAPFs fit for fighting as well as to ensure coordinated action between the States and the Centre within the federal framework of our country,” it had submitted.
Published – July 12, 2025 09:12 pm IST
