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Paramilitary and CAPF Comparison
A compact, tabular comparison of India's central uniformed forces, the five CAPFs, Assam Rifles, NSG, NDRF, SPG, RPF and the Coast Guard, by ministry, raising year, head and mandate, for CAPF aspirants
CAPF wiki•2 min read•6 sections
At a glance
SubjectInternal Security
RevisionInternal SecurityCAPFParamilitaryInterviewPaper 1
One screen per section. Cover the right column and test yourself. This is high-yield for both the paper and the interview. The exact sanctioned strength, battalion count and the current Director General of each force change, so verify the latest MHA Annual Report. The forces are treated in depth in the five capfs in depth and the concise sheet the five capfs quick facts is the companion to this comparison.
| Force |
Raised |
Founding Act |
Core mandate |
| CRPF |
1939 (renamed 1949) |
CRPF Act, 1949 |
Internal security, anti-Naxal operations, law and order, election duty |
| BSF |
1965 |
BSF Act, 1968 |
India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh land borders |
| CISF |
1969 |
CISF Act, 1968 |
Industrial and critical installations, airports, metros |
| ITBP |
1962 |
ITBP Act, 1992 |
India-China border, high altitude |
| SSB |
1963 (under MHA, 2003) |
Reconstituted 2003 |
India-Nepal and India-Bhutan open borders |
| Force |
Ministry / control |
Raised |
Mandate |
| Assam Rifles |
MHA (administration) and Army (operations) |
1835 |
India-Myanmar border; oldest paramilitary force |
| NSG |
MHA |
1984 |
Counter-terror and counter-hijack ("Black Cats") |
| NDRF |
MHA |
2006 |
Disaster response under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 |
| SPG |
Cabinet Secretariat |
1985 |
Protection of the Prime Minister |
| RPF |
Ministry of Railways |
1957 (statutory force 1985) |
Security of railway property and passengers |
| Indian Coast Guard |
Ministry of Defence |
1978 |
Maritime law enforcement in territorial waters |
| Defence Security Corps |
Ministry of Defence |
1947 |
Security of defence installations |
| Distinction |
Force |
| Largest CAPF |
CRPF |
| World's largest border-guarding force |
BSF |
| Oldest paramilitary force |
Assam Rifles (1835) |
| Highest-altitude border guarding |
ITBP |
| Guards open borders (Nepal, Bhutan) |
SSB |
| Force |
Motto |
| CRPF |
Seva aur Nishtha (Service and Loyalty) |
| BSF |
Jeevan Paryant Kartavya (Duty Unto Death) |
| CISF |
Sanrakshan evam Suraksha (Protection and Security) |
| ITBP |
Shaurya, Dridhata, Karm Nishtha (Valour, Determination, Devotion to Duty) |
| SSB |
Service, Security and Brotherhood |
| Assam Rifles |
Friends of the Hill People |
| NSG |
Sarvatra Sarvottam Suraksha (Omnipresent Omnipotent Security) |
| Point |
Clarification |
| "Central Armed Police Forces" |
The official term for the five MHA forces; the older label "paramilitary" is now reserved more loosely |
| Command structure |
Each CAPF is headed by a Director General; officer entry at Assistant Commandant is via UPSC |
| Dual control |
Assam Rifles answers to the MHA for administration and the Army for operations |
| Not a CAPF |
The Indian Coast Guard (Defence Ministry) and the Army-controlled forces are distinct |