Paramilitary forces of India
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The paramilitary forces of India (PMF) are those agencies of the Government of India which aid the Indian Armed Forces and other security agencies, such as the Indian Police Service, in their operations. With over a million personnel in active service, the PMF is one of the world's largest paramilitary organizations.[1]
The Central Paramilitary Forces (CPF) forms the first tier of the PMF while the Central Police Organizations (CPO) forms the second tier. The primary difference between the two is that the CPF works in close cooperation with the Indian Armed Forces (which includes the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force), whereas the CPO works independently or in coordination with the Indian Police Service and other law enforcement agencies. During a war, the CPF would work directly under the control of the Armed Forces unlike the CPO. All branches of the PMF, excluding the Indian Coast Guard, are agencies of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Coast Guard, a component of the CPF, is an agency of the Indian Defense Ministry and works in close coordination with the Indian Navy.
The PMF consists of several different components with a wide range of roles. Most of these forces, however, tend to share a broadly gendarmerie role and generally perform counter-insurgency or anti-terrorist missions. Others, such as the Border Security Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police, aid the Indian Army in guarding the international borders of India. The Central Reserve Police Force, which primarily assists the India Police in maintaining law and order, is the largest of the paramilitary forces in India.[2]
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[edit] List of Central Paramilitary Forces
- Rashtriya Rifles: 40,000 personnel
- Assam Rifles: 40,000 personnel in 46 battalions commanded by a Lieutenant-General
- Defence Security Corps - 30,000 persons who provide security to Ministry of Defense facilities and installations nationwide.
- National Security Guards: 30,500 personnel
- Border Security Force: 180,000 personnel .
- Central Industrial Security Force: 105,000 personnel
- Indo-Tibetan Border Police - 40,000
[edit] List of Central Police Organisations
- Railway Protection Force - 45,000 personnel who provide security police and security guard services to Indian Railways
- Indian Home Guard: 400 to 600,000 personnel
- Civil Defence
- Sashastra Seema Bal: 32,500 personnel which guard the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan Borders
- Special Protection Group: 3000 personnel
- Special Frontier Force - 10,000 personnel
- The Provincial Armed Constabulary (Pradeshik) - 250 to 300,000 persons who act as a mobile armed reserve maintained at key locations in some states and activated only on the orders from the deputy inspector general or higher-level. Armed constabulary are usually not in contact with the public until they are assigned to VIP duty or assigned to maintain order during fairs, festivals, athletic events, elections, and natural disasters. They may also be sent to quell outbreaks of student or labor unrest, organized crime, and communal riots; to maintain key guard posts; and to participate in antiterrorist operations. Depending on the type of assignment, the Provincial Armed Constabulary may carry only lathis or they may be equipped with infantry weapons.
- Central Reserve Police Force: 172,000 personnel in 200 battalions
- Rapid Action Force - a 10 battalion semi-independent part of the CRPF trained to respond to sectarian violence. The Anti-Riot Police of the Indian Union.
- Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA): A 10,000 strong anti-Naxal force being raised under the command and control of the CRPF.[3]
[edit] See also
- Indian Army
- Indian Air Force
- Indian Navy
- Indian Coast Guard
- National Security Guard
- Special Forces of India
- Special Protection Group
- National Cadet Corps (India)
- constabulary
- gendarmerie
[edit] References
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=SV9JDcz3hegC&pg=PA29&lpg=PA29&dq=paramilitary+india+largest&source=web&ots=5FejF18urW&sig=5SiLtP41DFRsYiej1fJ5fhMBd5Y&hl=en&ei=6RmKSZOWOOCKmQfGneyeCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=Wk5t8fdo7zgC&pg=PR12&dq=paramilitary+india+largest&as_brr=3&client=firefox-a
- ^ COBRA to sting Naxal virus: new force gets Centre nod
[edit] Further reading
[edit] External links
- Assam Rifles official site
- Analysis of the PMF
- An informative article on the PMF
- Global Security article on Border Security Force
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