Rajya Sabha Passes CAPF Bill Amid Opposition Walkout Over IPS Quota

The Bill seeks to create a single overarching legal framework for recruitment, promotions, deputation, and conditions of service of Group A officers in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), replacing the existing fragmented regime of separate Acts for each force.

It also formalises the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to senior leadership positions, reserving 50 per cent of Inspector General (IG) posts, at least 67 per cent of Additional Director General (ADG) posts, and 100 per cent of Special DG and Director General (DG) posts for IPS officers on deputation.

The legislation includes a "notwithstanding" clause that allows government rules to prevail over previous laws or court orders. The passage of the law came after a heated debate.

Opposition members, including Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, demanded that the Bill be referred to a Select Committee for detailed scrutiny, citing concerns over stakeholder consultation and its implications for CAPF cadre officers.

When their demand was not accepted, the Opposition staged a walkout amid sloganeering.

Responding sharply, Leader of the House J.P. Nadda accused the Opposition of lacking interest in substantive debate and showing disrespect for parliamentary procedures. "I have said this before, they don't have any interest in the debate," he claimed.

BJP MP Ajeet Gopchade, while supporting the Bill, highlighted the shift in approach towards paramilitary personnel. "Earlier, the jawans used to fight the system; now the system is fighting for the jawans," he said. He praised the Narendra Modi government for filling the gaps left by previous regimes and accused critics of prioritising politics over national security. "Those who oppose this bill are more concerned with politics than national security," he alleged.

On the other side, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Priyanka Chaturvedi alleged that the discussion had been reduced to an "IPS vs CAPF" narrative. She argued that the House should have called stakeholders and referred the Bill to a Select Committee.

"The Bill not only violates the Supreme Court order but also creates a demotivating atmosphere by making it about CAPF vs IPS," she said, adding that the spirit of consensus was missing.

Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale, who initiated the discussion, pointed to the challenging service conditions of CAPF officers compared to their IPS counterparts. "The life of an IPS officer is far more comfortable than an officer of equal rank from CAPF," he observed. He accused the government of seeking greater political control over the forces by bringing in IPS officers to head them.

The Bill was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on March 25 by Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. Discussion had begun on March 30, during which the Opposition argued that the legislation went against constitutional values, principles of natural justice, and a 2025 Supreme Court judgment that had called for progressively reducing IPS deputation in certain ranks.

The government maintains that the Bill brings much-needed uniformity, addresses career stagnation through transparent rules, fixed tenures, and grievance mechanisms, while preserving the synergy between IPS leadership and CAPF operational expertise for effective internal security management.

- IANS