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{{More citations needed|date=November 2008}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
| agencyname = Rapid Action Force
| commonname = RAF
| patch =
| patchcaption =
| logo = Rapid Action Force logo.png
| logocaption = Emblem of Rapid Action Force
| badge =
| badgecaption =
| flag =
| flagcaption =
| motto = "Serving Humanity with Sensitive Policing"
| mottotranslated =
| mission =
| formedyear = 1991
| formedmonthday = 11 December
| preceding1 =
| employees =
| volunteers = 1,00,000 Active Personnel
| budget =
| nongovernment =
| country = India
| countryabbr =
| national =
| map =
| mapcaption =
| sizearea =
| sizepopulation =
| legaljuris =
| governingbody = Ministry of Home Affairs (India)
| governingbodyscnd =
| constitution1 =
| speciality1 = Riot control
| overviewtype =
| overviewbody =
| headquarters = New Delhi, India
| hqlocmap =
| hqlocleft =
| hqloctop =
| hqlocmappoptitle =
| sworntype =
| sworn =
| unsworntype =
| unsworn =
| electeetype = Minister
| minister1name = [[Amit Shah]]
| minister1pfo = Union Home Minister
| chief1name = Vivek Vaid, PMG
| chief1position = Inspector General of Police, RAF
| parentagency = [[Central Reserve Police Force]]<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20171006112257/http://www.crpf.nic.in/RAFSector.htm</ref>
| child1agency =
| unittype =
| unitname =
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| provideragency =
| uniformedas =
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| stations =
| airbases =
| lockuptype =
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| vehicle1type =
| vehicles1 =
| boat1type =
| boats1 =
| aircraft1type =
| aircraft1 =
| animal1type =
| animals1 =
| person1name =
| person1reason =
| person1type =
| programme1 =
| activity1name =
| activitytype = Riot Control, Peace keeping
| anniversary1 = 7 October
| award1 =
| website = [https://crpf.gov.in/default.aspx?id=920&lg=eng RAF website]
| footnotes =
| reference =
}}

'''The Rapid Action Force''' ('''RAF''') is a specialised wing of the [[Central Reserve Police Force]] of [[India]] to deal with riot and crowd control situations.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=http://crpf.nic.in/RAFSector.htm|title=RAF Sector {{!}} Directorate General {{!}} Dte/Zone {{!}} Central Reserve Police Force, Government of India.|website=crpf.nic.in|language=en|access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref>

== History ==
RAF was raised on 11 December 1991 with headquarters in New Delhi. It became fully operational on 7 October 1992, to deal with riots, riot like situations, [[crowd control]], rescue and relief operations, and related unrest.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="military">{{cite web|url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/raf.htm|title=Rapid Action Force (RAF)|publisher=GlobalSecurity.org|access-date=26 November 2008}}</ref> The first five battalions were raised by October 1992 and an additional 5 battalions were added in April 1994. In October 2003, with 11 years of service, the force was presented with the President's colours.<ref name=":0" /> On 9 November 2013, the RAF Academy of Public Order was established in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.jagranjosh.com/current-affairs/raf-academy-of-public-order-inaugurated-in-meerut-1384083408-1|title=RAF Academy of Public Order inaugurated in Meerut|date=10 November 2013|work=Jagranjosh.com|access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/shinde-inaugurates-raf-academy-of-public-order-in-meerut-113111000381_1.html|title=Shinde inaugurates 'RAF Academy of Public Order' in Meerut|last=ANI|date=10 November 2013|work=Business Standard India|access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref> In 2017, the Indian government approved an additional five battalions to be based in New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/raf-adding-5-new-battalions-to-tackle-increasing-cases-of-violence/story-iTnNvk60DdZcyASRP2bhpI.html|title=RAF adding 5 new battalions to tackle increasing cases of violence|date=22 September 2017|work=hindustantimes.com/|access-date=6 October 2017|language=en}}</ref>

==Organisation==
RAF is commanded by an [[Inspector-General of Police]] (IGP), functioning at New Delhi. The RAF is divided into two ranges headed by a DIGP at New Delhi and Mumbai. The RAF has a distinctive uniform with a blue-coloured camouflage pattern which symbolises peace. Its motto is "Serving Humanity with Sensitive Policing".

It currently has 15 specialised trained and equipped [[battalion]]s, which are numbered 99 to 108 in the CRPF. Each battalion is headed by a [[Commanding officer|Commanding Officer(CO)]], an officer of the rank of [[Commandant]].<ref name=":0" /> The battalions are located at New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Aligarh, Meerut, Hyderabad, Jamshedpur, Coimbatore and Allahabad.{{Citation needed|date=October 2017}}

''[[Team]]'' is the smallest independent functional unit of the force and is commanded by an [[Inspector]]. Each team has three components, namely riot control, tear some and fire. Each company of RAF has one team composed of women personnel to deal with women demonstrators.<ref name=":0" />

The force is equipped with [[non-lethal weapon]]s for dispersing the crowd with minimum harm and losses. It is always kept in readiness for rapid deployment when the situation so demands and are only deployed by the orders of [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]] on specific demands from state governments for a short duration.{{Citation needed|date=October 2017}}

[[File:Horse mounted.JPG|thumb|Horse Mounted personnel of the RAF for riot-control]]

== Role ==
===Riot and crowd control===
This unit has been used to deal with communal violence, law and order duty, festival and election duties and agitation.<ref name=":1" />

===United Nations Peace Keeping Operations===
The CRPF female and male contingents under the arrangements of RAF are deployed in United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Monrovia and Zwedru in UN Peacekeeping mission since 2007–08. CRPF Female Formed Police Unit was the first of its kind in the world, which was deployed under the aegis of UN Peace Keeping Mission.<ref name=":0" />

===Humanitarian activities===
[[File:Rapid Action Force 2017 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|A 2017 stamp dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Rapid Action Force]]
RAF has also succeeded in projecting the human face of the Government and built bridges with the public by carrying out prompt rescue and relief operations during floods, earthquakes, cyclones and outbreak of epidemics in various parts of the country.<ref name=":0" />

===Anti-terror operations===
During the November [[2008 Mumbai attacks|2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks]], RAF was involved in cordoning the areas around the Oberoi Trident and the Taj Mahal hotels. [[Kamlesh Kumari]] of the 88 Mahila Battalion was posthumously awarded the [[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashoka Chakra]] for her bravery during the [[2001 Indian Parliament attack]].<ref>Dutta, Anshuman G. (11 August 2009) [http://archive.mid-day.com/news/2009/aug/110809-Kamlesh-Kumari-CRPF-Constable-2001-Parliament-attacks-Indomitables-Ashok-Chakra-Delhi.htm Armed only with a wireless set, she rushed in to face terrorists]. Archive.mid-day.com. Retrieved on 2018-12-26.</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Law enforcement in India}}

[[Category:Government agencies established in 1992]]
[[Category:Specialist law enforcement agencies of India]]
[[Category:Federal law enforcement agencies of India]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in Delhi]]

Rapid Action Force - Revision history

imported>KISHDBA at 15:08, 15 June 2021