NEW DELHI: The Department of Expenditure (DoE) under the Ministry of Finance is actively considering a proposal sent to it by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on the long-delayed restructuring of Group ‘A’ cadres as “Organised Service” in the country’s five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), officials said on Saturday.
They said that as soon as the DoE returns the proposal to the MHA after financial scrutiny, the same would be presented before the government’s top cadre review panel headed by cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan for final consideration.
The move marks a crucial turning point for nearly 13,000 Group ‘A’ officers of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), whose career progression has been constrained by a shortage of higher-level cadre posts and the long-standing deployment of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in senior positions.
Notably, the exercise stems from a landmark Supreme Court ruling in May 2025 that directed a comprehensive restructuring of the executive Group ‘A’ cadres and changes to recruitment rules in the forces. The judgment followed years of litigation by CAPF officers seeking greater parity in promotional opportunities.
The Centre’s attempt to revisit the judgment through a review petition failed when the apex court rejected it in October 2025. The government
subsequently enacted the CAPFs (General Administration) Act in April 2026, creating a legislative framework for implementing the Supreme Court’s directions.
