Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

In News

• Every year, July 27 is commemorated as Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)  foundation day as India’s largest central armed police force came into existence on this day in 1939.

About Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

• Colonial Era: 
  • These forces were there since the imperial rule of the Britishers and were known as Crown Representative’s Police.
  • Soon after India’s independence from the shackle of the colonial raj, it got its name, Central Reserve Police Force with the enactment of the CRPF Act on 28th December in 1949.
• Formation: 
  • It was constituted following the political unrest and the agitations in the then princely States of India in the backdrop of the Madras Resolution of the All-India Congress Committee in 1936.
• Ministry: CRPF officially works under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• Function:
  • It essentially functions for all states and union territories alike.
  • The force’s job is to maintain law and order in the subcontinent and by the virtue of it they combat against insurgencies, act as rescue forces whenever required, etc.
  • CRPF was the on guard force at the Indo-Pak border until 1965 when the Border Security Force came into existence specifically for this purpose.
  • CRPF is also deployed for international missions for the United Nations.  
  • The CRPF continues to step in whenever natural disasters or some unforeseen accidents happen.
  • COBRA is a special operation unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India proficient in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare.
• Capacity: It is India’s largest central armed police force having around 246 battalions, and more than 30,000 personnel. 

Source: PIB