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Central Reserve Police Force

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is an internal security and combat force in India under the Government of India. It is one of the Central Armed Police Forces. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State Territories in police operations to maintain law and order and counter-insurgency. It is composed of Central Reserve Police Force (Regular) and Central Reserve Police Force (Auxiliary).

For militarized police unit in Sudan, see Central Reserve Forces.

Central Reserve Police Force

CRPF

"सेवा और निष्ठा"
Service and Loyalty

  • 27 July 1939 (1939-07-27)
    (as Crown Representative's Police)
  • 28 December 1949 (1949-12-28)

313,634 Active personnel

32,809.65 crore (US$3.9 billion) (2024–25)[1]

  • Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949[2]

CGO Complex, New Delhi, INDIA

  • Operation All Out (J&K)
  • Anti-Naxal Operations (LWE Region)

  • Valour Day
    (9 April 1965)
  • Police Commemoration Day
    (21 October 1959)

It was founded as the Crown Representative's Police on 27 July 1939. After Indian independence, it became the Central Reserve Police Force on the enactment of the CRPF Act on 28 December 1949. Besides law and order and counter-insurgency duties, the CRPF has played a role in India's elections. The CRPF played a major role in the Parliamentary elections of September 1999. CRPF officers are also being deployed in UN missions.


With 247 battalions and various other establishments, the CRPF is India's largest central armed police force and has a sanctioned strength of more than 300,000 personnel as of 2019.[3]

The CRPF was derived from the CRP (Crown Representative's Police) on 27 July 1939 with 2 battalions in [Means North Indian Mounted Artillery and Cavalry Headquarter], Madhya Pradesh. Its primary duty at the time was to protect the British residents in sensitive states of India.[4]

Nimach

In 1949, the CRP was renamed under the CRPF Act. During the 1960s, many battalions were merged with the CRPF. The CRPF has been active against foreign invasion and domestic insurgency.

state reserve police

On 21 October 1959, SI Karam Singh and 20 soldiers were attacked by the at Hot Springs in Ladakh resulting in 10 casualties. The survivors were imprisoned. Since then, 21 October is observed as Police Commemoration day nationwide, across all states in India.[5]

Chinese Army

On the intervening night of 8 and 9 April 1965, 3500 men of the 51st Infantry Brigade of , comprising 18 Punjab Bn, 8 Frontier Rifles, and 6 Baluch Bn, stealthily launched operation "Desert Hawk" against border posts in Rann of Kutch. It was to the valour of Head Constable Bhawana Ram deployed on the eastern parameter of Sardar Post whose gallant act was to a great extent instrumental in demoralizing the intruders and forcing them to retreat from the post.

Pakistan

There are few parallels of such a battle and the then Union Home Minister very appropriately graded it as a "Military Battle" not a Police battle. The service and their sacrifice will now not need to turn back to old records for appreciation with that historic moment being picked up for celebration as "Valour Day" of the Force after Year.


The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the premier central police force of the Union of India for internal security. Originally constituted as the Crown Representative Police in 1939, it is one of the oldest Central para-military forces (now termed as Central Armed Police Force). CRPF was raised as a sequel to the political unrest and the agitations in the then princely States of India following the Madras Resolution of the All-India Congress Committee in 1936 and the ever-growing desire of the Crown Representative to help the vast majority of the native States to preserve law and order as a part of the imperial policy.


After Independence, the force was renamed as Central Reserve Police Force by an Act of Parliament on 28 December 1949. This Act constituted CRPF as an armed force of the Union. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the then Home Minister, visualized a multi-dimensional role for it in tune with the changing needs of a newly independent nation.


During the early 1950s, the performance of the CRPF detachments in Bhuj, the then Patiala and East Punjab State Union (PEPSU)Patiala and East Punjab States Union and Chambal ravines were appreciated by all quarters. The force played a significant role during the amalgamation of the princely States into the Indian Union. It helped the Union Government in disciplining the rebellious princely States of Junagarh and the small principality of Kathiawar in Gujarat which had declined to join the Indian Union.


Soon after Independence, contingents of the CRPF were sent to Kutch, Rajasthan, and Sindh borders to check infiltration and trans-border crimes. They were, subsequently, deployed on the Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir following attacks launched by the Pakistani infiltrators. The CRPF bore the brunt of the first Chinese attack on India at Hot Springs (Ladakh) on 21 October 1959. A small CRPF patrol was ambushed by the Chinese in which ten of its men made their supreme sacrifice for the country. Their martyrdom on 21 October is remembered throughout the country as the Police Commemoration Day every year.


During the Sino-Indian War of 1962, the Force once again assisted the Indian Army in Arunachal Pradesh. Eight CRPF personnel were killed in action. In the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars also the Force fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the Indian Army, both on the Western and Eastern borders.


For the first time in the history of para-military Forces in India, thirteen companies of CRPF were airlifted to join the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka to fight the militant cadres. Besides, CRPF personnel were also sent to Haiti, Namibia, Somalia, and Maldives to deal with the law and order situation there, as a part of the UN Peace Keeping Force.


In the late seventies, when extremist elements disturbed the peace in Tripura and Manipur, CRPF battalions were deployed in strength. Simultaneously, there was turmoil in the Brahmaputra Valley. The CRPF had to be inducted in strength not only to maintain law and order but also to keep lines of communication free from disruption. The commitments of the Force continue to be very high in the Northeast in dealing with the insurgency.[6]


In June 2024, a large group of islamic terrorists attacked CRPF personnel and other security personnel in Kashmir. One CRPF officer was killed and many other personnel were injured.[7]

Operations[edit]

Sri Lanka Mission[edit]

The role of the CRPF and its services have extended beyond the nation's borders. The services rendered by the CRPF in Sri Lanka as part of IPKF, as part of the UN Peace Keeping Force in Namibia, Somalia, Haiti, Maldives, and also in Bosnia speak volumes about the ability, agility, versatility, and dependability of the Force to adapt to any conflict-situation round the globe. Presently a contingent of 240 personnel of RAF is deployed in Kosovo as UN Mission in Kosovo is to provide protection and security to the UN officials/UN civil police/ Crowd control etc. RAF coys will also assist local police to control /mob during violent demonstrations, humanitarian and to assist the activities of the ICTY.[8]

Weapons[edit]

CRPF uses basic infantry weapons which are manufactured indigenously at the Indian Ordnance Factories under the control of the Ordnance Factories Board. They are also equipped with weapons like CGRLs, 81mm mortars, AGLs, etc.

In popular culture[edit]

The acronym CRPF has been expanded as "Chalte Raho Pyare Force" (lit.'Keep moving my friend force' or 'Keep Moving, Beloved Force') since they are constantly on the move from one troubled place in India to another.[21][22][23]

Ministry of Home Affairs

Border Security Force

Indo-Tibetan Border Police

Central Industrial Security Force

Sashastra Seema Bal

Assam Rifles

National Security Guard

Border outpost

Operation Green Hunt

Indian Coast Guard

Central Reserve Police Force SC

Internal Security Academy

Official website