Bill on IG-level IPS representation in CAPF passed

New Delhi: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the draft Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, a statutory intervention said to be aimed at retaining provisions for representation of IPS officers at the level of Inspector General (IG) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the armed police forces. Despite the Supreme Court’s verdict last year confirming the ‘organized services’ (OGAS) status of Group A CAPF officers and directing the government to gradually reduce the acting posts of IPS officers from senior administrative level (SAG) to IG level in CAPF, the bill is likely to be brought before Parliament soon. As per the current CAPF recruitment rules, 20% of DIG-level posts and 50% of IG-level posts are deputy posts to IPS officers. The SC’s ruling is seen as a potential career boost for around 13,000 CAPF cadre officers who have been complaining of discrimination against IPS officers holding important DIG and IG level posts. “The CAPF (General Administration) Bill appears to be a move to negate the SC ruling which is a national law requiring the government to free up DIG and IG level posts for CAPF cadre. The Center had earlier moved a review petition against the Supreme Court ruling, but it was dismissed by the court in October 2025. However, when the government still failed to implement the Supreme Court ruling, the petitioners filed a contempt petition, which is currently pending,” an armed police official told TOI. Interestingly, the Center on Monday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court seeking one more year’s extension to complete CAPF’s comprehensive review of the existing Group A cadre and submit cadre review recommendations to the government for action as per the SC’s directions. It is said that the cadre review work has been brewing for a long time and has been launched. However, with the contempt case pending before the Supreme Court, the government said it is actively reviewing the matter and considering legal and regulatory intervention if necessary. “This matter involves policy, financial and structural implications with long-term administrative consequences and therefore requires careful and appropriate consideration by each state,” it submitted in the affidavit. A CAPF official told TOI that the CAPF (General Administration) Amendment Bill seeks to address these issues by adding provisions for IPS officers to represent senior CAPF posts in the bill itself, instead of relying on the rule against which the SC has already ruled.