The Union Government has approached the Supreme Court seeking a review of its May 2025 order directing a gradual reduction in the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). On August 12, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai confirmed the move in the Lok Sabha while responding to a query from Congress MP Deepender Hooda. Rai said the matter is currently sub-judice and under judicial consideration.
The review petition was filed against the May 23 ruling of a bench comprising Justices AS Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, which directed that IPS deputations in CAPFs—up to Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) and Inspector General level—be progressively reduced within two years. The same judgment also granted Organised Group A Services (OGAS) status to CAPFs, a move viewed as a move toward less reliance on IPS deputations and more opportunity for CAPF cadre officers to grow in their careers.
However, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has persisted in assigning IPS officials to high-level CAPF positions in spite of the ruling of the supreme court. Since the decision, at least eight IPS officers have been assigned to CAPF positions at the commandant and inspector general levels, per legislative data. The case is currently a part of ongoing judicial review processes, and the co-author of the decision, Justice AS Oka, has since retired.
The long-standing conflict between CAPF cadre officers and IPS is the root of the deputation controversy. According to CAPF staff, IPS officers’s lateral entry into top positions leads to career stagnation and a lack of opportunities for advancement. While IPS officials have voiced concerns over administrative efficiency and leadership continuity if deputations are curtailed.
The Supreme Court’s May ruling was celebrated by CAPF groups and veterans as a landmark step towards service parity.
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