New Delhi, 09 April (H.S.):

Families of serving and retired Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel gathered at Rajghat today to protest the recently enacted Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026, branding it a “black law.”

Demonstrators demanded its immediate withdrawal, alongside implementation of Organised Group-A Service (OGAS) status and the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for paramilitary ranks.

The agitation stems from provisions that protesters argue stall CAPF officers’ career progression while curtailing state autonomy. The legislation mandates deputing Indian Police Service (IPS) officers exclusively to Director General (DG) and Special DG posts, sidelining native cadre officers. Similar IPS prioritization extends to Additional Director General (ADG) and Inspector General (IG) levels, fueling accusations of systemic bias against CAPF’s own leadership pipeline.

Passed swiftly by both houses of Parliament—cleared by voice vote in Rajya Sabha on April 1 and Lok Sabha the next day—the bill centralizes administrative authority over CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, and SSB under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Critics contend this entrenches IPS dominance, contravening a May 2025 Supreme Court directive to phase down external deputations and expedite cadre reviews.

Ranbir Singh, general secretary of the Alliance of All Ex-Paramilitary Forces Welfare Association, highlighted 15-17 years of stagnation for jawans and officers. The predominantly women-led sit-in, held on Shaurya Diwas

commemorating 1965 martyrs, amplified calls for justice amid fears the law violates constitutional Articles 14 and 16 on equality.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar