Thu Jul 03 16:36:47 UTC 2025: **Headline: Home Ministry Defies Supreme Court Ruling, Continues IPS Appointments in CAPFs**

**New Delhi – July 3, 2025:** Despite a Supreme Court directive to progressively reduce the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), the Union Home Ministry has continued to appoint IPS officers to senior positions.

This defiance comes in the wake of a May 23, 2025 Supreme Court ruling in the *Sanjay Prakash & Others versus Union of India* case, which recognized Group A officers of CAPFs as “Organised Services” for “all purposes.” The court mandated a gradual reduction in IPS officer deputations in the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG), or up to the rank of Inspector General, within a two-year timeframe.

Since the ruling, at least eight IPS officers have been appointed to posts ranging from Commandant to Inspector General within the CAPFs. Counsel for the petitioners in the original case have now accused the Home Ministry, the Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT), and the Directors General of the CAPFs of contempt of court.

The 2021 petition to the Supreme Court by CAPF Group A officers sought Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU), cadre review and restructuring, and the elimination of IPS deputation to facilitate internal promotions up to the SAG level. Currently, 20% of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and 50% of Inspector General (IG) posts in CAPFs are reserved for IPS officers. The court’s decision was anticipated to significantly reduce this IPS dominance, potentially benefiting around 13,000 CAPF officers and accelerating their career advancement.

CAPF officers have long complained of stagnation due to the large number of posts reserved for IPS officers. On average, a CAPF officer joining as Assistant Commandant (AC) spends 25 years to be promoted as Commandant, whereas they should attain the seniority in 13 years.

Adding to the controversy, the Ministry appointed a 2016 batch IPS officer of the Tripura cadre as Commandant in the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on June 25. This appointment is considered unusual as it is rare for an SP-rank IPS officer to be deputed to the CAPF, especially given the Supreme Court’s recent directive.

According to available data as of June 23, there are 69 sanctioned IPS posts at the IGP rank across the BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB and ITBP (56 occupied). Out of 117 DIG posts for IPS officers, 24 posts were vacant.

The ongoing appointments raise questions about the Home Ministry’s compliance with the Supreme Court’s judgment and the future of career opportunities for CAPF officers. The Home Ministry is the cadre controlling authority for both the CAPFs and the IPS. The CAPFs comprise the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

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