NEW DELHI: Amid a walkout by opposition parties, the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed the Central Armed Police Forces (General Administration) Bill 2026 with a voice vote. The bill seeks to create a unified legal framework governing personnel across different forces, replacing the current patchwork of separate service rule regimes for the five CAPFs.
Replying to the debate, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the bill was placed before the House not as a legislative proposal but with a purpose to strengthen the security system of the country.
“The bill is an important step in the direction of resolving inconsistencies in the service rules, cadre management, appointment-related issues, among others, to boost the efficiency and morale of armed forces,” Rai said. He added that the bill aims to create an umbrella structure for resolving anomalies and streamlining its structure for better coordination.
The Opposition staged a walkout demanding that the bill be sent to a select panel of Parliament. Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the minister’s reply didn’t address the main issues related to institutionalisation of deputation, adverse impact on morale and career progression, lack of consultation and representation and lack of concern for judicial direction.
Responding to Kharge, Leader of the House JP Nadda accused the Opposition of disrespecting parliamentary procedures. “They (Opposition) don’t have any interest in debate. They don’t have any respect for parliamentary procedure,” he said.
The bill provides that to appoint officers from the IPS in CAPFs, 50% of the posts will be filled by deputation in the rank of IG and a minimum of 67% of the posts by deputation in the rank of ADG.
The proposed legislation comes after the Supreme Court, in October last year, dismissed the Centre’s plea seeking a review of its 2025 verdict that directed that IPS officers’ deputation in CAPFs up to the level of Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) should be “progressively reduced” and asked for a cadre review in six months.
Earlier, the MPs of NDA lauded the Bill, calling it a long-pending reform, while the opposition slammed it as “discriminatory” and a “threat’ to institutional autonomy.