The Centre on Thursday notified the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Act, 2026, bringing it into force from October 8, a week before a Supreme Court special bench is scheduled to hear petitions challenging the law filed by serving CAPF cadre officers.
The Act governs the functioning and administration of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). the new law fixes the number of posts for IPS and cadre officers at different ranks While the Supreme Court had directed the government to progressively reduce the deputation of IPS officers. The petitioners have argued that this would hurt the career prospects of cadre officers by limiting their chances of reaching senior leadership positions. For instance, the Act provides that the posts of director general (DG) and special DG will be filled only by IPS officers. The law comes nearly a year after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of CAPF cadre officers following a decade-long legal battle over cadre review, timely promotions and leadership roles, including reducing the deputation of IPS officers to the forces.
Serving cadre officers, including recipients of Shaurya Chakra and other gallantry awards, have challenged the law in the Supreme Court, arguing that it is discriminatory, was enacted to override the court’s judgment and that the directions issued last year were never implemented by the home ministry.
It also directed a cadre review to enable timely promotions for cadre officers. The Supreme Court ruled in their favour on May 23, 2025, directing the Centre to progressively reduce IPS deputation, among other measures. The Centre’s review petition was dismissed on October 28, 2025. The bill was introduced in March 2026 even though the judgment had not been implemented.
Because iPS officers were brought in from outside on deputation, the officers had told the top court that despite being members of Group A services and serving in senior ranks throughout their careers, they could not rise to leadership positions.
On October 15, the special bench is scheduled to hear two petitions — one filed last year over the Centre’s alleged failure to implement the Supreme Court’s May 2025 order on cadre review, promotions and deputation of IPS officers to the CAPFs, and another filed this year challenging the new law. The officers, who won the case in May 2025 after a decade-long legal battle, have argued that the law seeks to circumvent the apex court’s order and continues the structural disadvantage faced by cadre officers.
