NEW DELHI: A high-level government committee is set to review the cadre structure of Group A officers across the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in India. The final deliberations and recommendations are expected following clearances from the Union Home Ministry and the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the proposals are currently under review by the Department of Expenditure (DoE) within the Union Finance Ministry. Once this stage is complete, they will be presented to a senior government committee, typically chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, for final approval and implementation.
Cadre restructuring is a critical process aimed at enhancing career progression opportunities for personnel within an organisation. This particular review for the CAPFs has gained significant attention due to a Supreme Court directive issued in May 2025. The apex court mandated a comprehensive review and revision of recruitment rules for the Group A executive cadre officers of the CRPF, BSF, SSB, CISF, and ITBP.
The Supreme Court’s intervention stemmed from petitions filed by CAPF officers who had been engaged in a protracted legal battle. They sought improved promotion prospects, citing considerable delays in career advancement compared to officers from the Indian Police Service (IPS) who are often deputed to these forces.
The Union government had initially filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s judgement, which was subsequently rejected in October 2025. Following this, the government enacted the CAPFs (General Administration) Act in April of the current year. The Ministry of Home Affairs then directed the five CAPFs to conduct a thorough examination of their existing Group A cadres and submit their proposals to the ministry for the implementation of the court’s order.
Proposals from the five forces were received by the MHA between May and July. These were then forwarded to the DoPT between July and August, adhering to established procedures. The DoPT, in turn, followed its protocol and transmitted the reviews, along with its observations and recommendations, to the DoE on August 17.
Officials anticipate that the DoE will finalize its assessments shortly. Subsequently, the cadre review proposals will be submitted to the high-level cadre review committee for discussions and final endorsement. The outcome of this review is keenly awaited by approximately 13,000 cadre officers who are hopeful for improved promotion avenues and streamlined service conditions.
The final cadre review report is expected to address the Supreme Court’s directive of May 2025. This order stipulated that the deputation of IPS officers up to the rank of Inspector General (IG) in the CAPFs should be progressively reduced over the next two years. The objective is to create more promotion opportunities for the dedicated cadre officers within these forces.
In a related development, in response to a contempt petition filed by CAPF officers seeking the implementation of the Supreme Court’s order, the MHA recently informed the court that 46 IPS officers had been assigned on deputation to the five CAPFs. These deputations were in the ranks of Superintendent of Police (SP), Deputy Inspector General (DIG), and Inspector General (IG) since the apex court’s order in May 2025.
The Chenab Times News Desk