Retired CAPF officers demand OGAS benefits, seek review of 2026 Bill

Retired CAPF officers have intensified their demand for the full implementation of a Supreme Court judgment granting OGAS benefits and want the proposed CAPF Bill, 2026 to be sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for detailed scrutiny.

Retired officers of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) on Friday intensified their demand for the full implementation of a Supreme Court judgment granting Organized Group A Service (OGAS) benefits as well as called for the proposed CAPF (General Administration) Bill, 2026 to be sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for detailed scrutiny and wider consultation.

The veterans, who served in senior ranks from Inspector General (IG) to Additional Director General (ADG), argued that the delay in implementing key judicial directives, along with the absence of structural reforms such as time-bound promotions and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, is adversely affecting the morale of personnel deployed in some of the country's most challenging and high-risk environments. They said the proposed CAPF Regulation Bill, 2026, assumes considerable importance, pointing "any legislative intervention affecting the command structure, service conditions and leadership opportunities within CAPFs inevitably carries implications not only for institutional morale but also for the operational effectiveness of forces responsible for protecting India's internal stability and border security."

Among those who addressed the gathering were HR Singh, a former Additional Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force; SK Sood, retired Additional Director General of the Border Security Force; Vikash Chandra, former Inspector General of the BSF; Pradeep Gupta, retired Inspector General of the Sashastra Seema Bal; and Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, a former officer of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

Call for Parliamentary Scrutiny

Speaking at a conference convened to deliberate on these issues, HR Singh questioned why the government has yet to act on what he described as a "balanced and just" ruling by the Supreme Court of India. "After a prolonged legal battle, the judgment delivered was fair and addressed the concerns of CAPF personnel. The question is, why is there still a delay in its implementation?," Singh said. He also expressed apprehension over attempts to introduce legislation that could potentially dilute the impact of the ruling.

Raising a key demand, Singh emphasised that any such legislation--including the CAPF Regulation Bill, 2026--must be placed in the public domain and referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs. "This is a matter of national importance involving thousands of personnel. It must undergo detailed examination, and the views of all stakeholders--including CAPF officers and IPS officers--should be taken into account. Only then can a balanced and practical solution emerge," he said.

Parity and Career Progression Concerns

The central concern of the veterans revolves around ensuring parity in career progression with other services. They highlighted how stagnation in promotions and restrictive recruitment rules have created significant bottlenecks, limiting the upward mobility of internal cadre officers.

Responding to concerns that focus remains on Group A officers, Singh said, "Don't you know how much we have been fighting for them for the past 10 years? We have fought extensively for their Old Pension Scheme." He highlighted that courts have recognised CAPFs as the Armed Forces of the Union and warned of the impact on morale if pensions are denied. "If jawans do not receive pensions, what will happen to their morale? And when one of us gets promoted from Group A, it creates a chain reaction--even constables move up the ranks. There is a ladder system."

Rejecting claims that lower ranks are ignored, he said policymakers are responsible for their current situation. "We have always stood by our personnel... everything we are doing is for them." Singh underlined the importance of leadership satisfaction and structural reforms. "But if the leadership itself remains dissatisfied, how can the jawans be satisfied?... If I were a Director General, I would create a policy for time-bound promotions for everyone. Jawans are the backbone of the force--nothing can function without them."

Debate on NFFU and Cadre Review

On Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU), he said, "NFFU was recommended by the Sixth Pay Commission, which laid down a formula for all services... it applies to all organised Group A services. That is why the Supreme Court has stated that the benefits available to organised Group A services should also be extended to CAPF services." He criticised restrictions in its implementation and called for reforms in recruitment rules and cadre structure. "That is why the Supreme Court directed that the Recruitment Rules should be revised within six months... Along with this, it also called for a cadre review."

IPS Deputation and Reciprocity Proposed

Addressing concerns over IPS deputation, Singh said, "The issue of mistrust is this: at around 20% at the DIG rank and 50% at the IG rank, positions are reserved for officers coming from outside." He proposed a reciprocal system. "If 100 officers come to us, then our 100 officers should also get opportunities to go outside... This will not only ensure fairness but also lead to better job enrichment and improved coordination between both sides."

Dismissing allegations that such advocacy undermines national security, Singh said, "We are not running any campaign... We are simply standing up for what is justified." "There is no campaign, no personal interest involved. We are only pursuing what the Supreme Court has already deemed fair and just. If anyone still sees personal interest in this, then please point it out," he added.

Fears of Nullifying SC Verdict

S K Sood said the matter is very sad if the CAPF Regulation Bill 2026 comes into effect. The move seems to indicate that the government's intention is to nullify the Supreme Court's decision in favour of CAPFs. I agree that IPS officers are very much capable in their job, but our (CAPFs) ability is far better in the areas specified for these forces.

SK Sood described the situation as deeply unfortunate if the CAPF Regulation Bill, 2026, is implemented. He suggested that the move appears aimed at undermining the Supreme Court's ruling in favour of the CAPFs. While acknowledging the competence of IPS officers in their roles, Sood asserted that CAPF personnel are significantly more capable in the specific domains assigned to these forces. "If leadership from within the forces rises to higher ranks, policies would better reflect their actual needs. The current leadership lacks adequate ground-level understanding of the requirements of the CAPFs," pointed Sood.

Sood said that since cadre officers do not reach top positions, their concerns are not effectively presented before decision-makers. He added that the Supreme Court had clearly directed the DoPT to grant appropriate Group A status and seek the views of personnel, but the government has taken no steps in that direction. Instead, he described the introduction of the CAPF Bill as a "hostile" move by the government.

Background of the Dispute

Vikash Chandra said, "We have no direct means to approach the government. As disciplined personnel, we would still express concerns. We devoted our youth to the CAPFs, yet recruitment rules did not provide for top positions for cadre officers."

At present, 20% of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) posts and 50% of Inspector General (IG) posts in the CAPFs are reserved for IPS officers through an executive order. The total strength of the CAPFs is about 10 lakh personnel, including roughly 13,000 Group A cadre officers. Recently, Parliament was informed that there are nearly 93,000 vacancies across various ranks in the CAPFs.

On May 23, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that Group A Executive Cadre officers of the CAPF are Organised Group A Services (OGAS) for all purposes. Besides progressively reducing the IPS deputation in the CAPF up to the level of I-Gs in the next two years, the court asked for a time-bound review of cadre and service rules in six months. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) challenged the judgement but on October 28, 2025, the apex court dismissed the review petition, making the ruling final. The MHA is the cadre controlling authority of both the CAPF and IPS.

After several former CAPF officials moved a contempt petition in the court against the Union Home Secretary for not implementing the Supreme Court order, the MHA informed the court on March 9 that it is considering "appropriate statutory and regulatory intervention." On March 10, the Union Cabinet approved the Central Armed Forces (General Administration) Bill, 2026. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)