CRPF Raising Day 2026 was observed on 27 July 2026 marking the 88th anniversary of the force established on 27 July 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police and reconstituted under the Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949.
Organisation and Legal Framework
- Classification: Central Armed Police Force under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- Legal basis: Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949 provides the force’s statutory framework.
- Command: Headed by a Director General; follows rank structure aligned with other CAPFs.
- Federal interface: Law and order is a State subject; CRPF assists state police on requisition and on request from constitutional authorities for elections.
Roles and Functions
- Internal security: Counter-insurgency, anti-Naxal operations, and operations in Jammu & Kashmir and the North‑East.
- Riot control and crowd management: Rapid Action capabilities for communal and large public order situations.
- Election duty: Deployed to ensure peaceful conduct of elections on request from Election Commission or state authorities.
- Protection and support: Security of vital installations, disaster response, and assistance to civil authorities.
Special Units
- CoBRA: Commando Battalion for Resolute Action—specialised anti‑Naxal cadre within CRPF.
- Rapid Action Force (RAF): Specialised in riot control and quick deployment.
- Women battalions: Deployed for gender‑sensitive operations and law enforcement roles.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Establishment: 27 July 1939; current nomenclature under the 1949 Act.
- Recruitment: Assistant Commandants for CAPFs recruited via UPSC CAPF (AC) Examination.
- Size: India’s largest Central Armed Police Force by manpower and national deployment footprint.