Created by Khan786
Last edited March 19, 2026


Paramilitary Forces of India refer to a group of 10 armed organisations responsible for supporting the Indian military and ensuring internal security.[1]

List of paramilitary forces[edit | edit source]

Template:Indian Armed Forces sidebar From 1986 to 2011 the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were considered as Central Police Organisations (CPOs).[2] However, as per their respective acts they all are Armed Police Forces.[2][3]

The paramilitary forces are made up of:[1]

Paramilitary Forces[1]
Paramilitary force Active Strength Governing Body Operational area Role
Assam Rifles 63,747[5] Ministry of Home Affairs (administrative)
Ministry of Defence (operational)[6]
Northeast India, India–Myanmar border Border guard
Border Security Force 257,363[5] Ministry of Home Affairs India–Pakistan border and India–Bangladesh border[7] Border guard
Central Industrial Security Force 144,418[5] Industries, public sector undertakings, space installations, airports, seaports and Delhi Metro Protection and security of operational areas
Central Reserve Police Force 313,678[5] All India Force Counter-insurgency and general elections
Indo-Tibetan Border Police 89,432[5] India–China border[8] Border guard
National Security Guard 10,000 Active Special operations in India Counter-terrorism
Sashastra Seema Bal 97,244[9] India–Nepal border and India–Bhutan border[10] Border guard
Railway Protection Force 76,563 Ministry of Railways Indian Railways Protection and security of operational areas
Special Frontier Force 10,000[9] Cabinet Secretariat[11] Covert operations
Special Protection Group 3,000[9] Security of Prime Minister of India Executive Protection
Total 1,065,445

Ranks and insignia[edit | edit source]

Officers
Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (Assam Rifles)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (BSF)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (CISF)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (CRPF)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (ITBP)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (NSG)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (RPF)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (Sashastra Seema Bal)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (Special Frontier Force)
Equivalent
NATO code
OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) and student officer
Equivalent
NATO code
OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) and student officer
Personnel below officer rank
Template:Ranks and Insignia of Indian forces/OR/BlankTemplate:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (Assam Rifles)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (BSF)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (CISF)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (CRPF)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (ITBP)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (NSG)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (RPF)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (Sashastra Seema Bal)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (Special Frontier Force)Template:Ranks and Insignia of Indian forces/OR/Blank

See also[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 IISS (2012). "Chapter Six: Asia". The Military Balance. 112 (1). London: Routledge: 205–302. doi:10.1080/04597222.2012.663215. S2CID 219626887.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Office Memorandum" (PDF). MHA. MHA, GoI. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2016. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  3. Dholabhai, Nishit (26 March 2011). "For the paramilitary, all's in a new name". The Telegraphy.
  4. Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs (12 December 2018). Working conditions in Border Guarding Forces Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Border Security Force) (PDF). Rajya Sabha. p. 1. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Annual Report 2016-17" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 12 August 2017.
  6. Tiwary, Deeptiman (7 December 2021). "Explained: Assam Rifles' dual control structure, and its role". The Indian Express.
  7. "Introduction". bsf.nic.in. Border Security Force. Archived from the original on 6 February 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  8. "Home | Indo Tibetan Border Police, Ministry of Home Affairs". itbpolice.nic.in. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 (Iiss), The International Institute of Strategic Studies (14 February 2020). The Military Balance 2020. Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated. ISBN 9780367466398 – via Google Books.
  10. "Role- SSB Ministry Of Home Affairs, Govt. Of India". ssb.nic.in. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  11. Chhina, Man Aman Singh; Kaushik, Krishn (2 September 2020). "Explained: What is the Special Frontier Force, referred to as Vikas Battalion?". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 September 2020.

Further reading[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]