‘Of utmost priority’: MHA reminds paramilitary forces to submit cadre review proposals for Group-A officers
The revised proposals are expected to bring long-awaited clarity to the promotion structure and service conditions within the central forces.
The move aims to address long-standing concerns over career stagnation and structural imbalance within the forces. (Express Archive Photo) The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has directed the heads of all six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) to urgently submit detailed proposals for the long-pending cadre review of Group-A officers, reminding them that the matter is under the Supreme Court’s consideration and of utmost priority.
In a fresh communication dated February 3, Under-Secretary Amit Kumar wrote to the directors general of the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), and Assam Rifles, noting that the ministry has not yet received their responses to an earlier letter issued on December 26 last year.
“It may be noted that this matter involves the attention of Hon’ble Court and [is] of utmost priority. Hence, CAPFs are again requested to undertake a comprehensive review of their existing Group ‘A’ cadres and submit detailed cadre review proposals to the Ministry urgently,” the letter said.
The reminder comes in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s ruling in May 2025, which directed the Centre to carry out cadre reviews of Group-A officers in CAPFs after recognising them as organised services “for all purposes”.
The move aims to address long-standing concerns over career stagnation and structural imbalance within the forces. At present, the MHA—the cadre-controlling authority of CAPFs –reserves 20 per cent of posts at the rank of deputy inspector general (DIG) and 50 per cent of posts at the inspector general (IG) level for Indian Police Service (IPS) officers. The pending cadre review is expected to affect roughly 13,000 Group-A officers across the six paramilitary forces.
Sources said one of the officers in the CRPF, in an internal communication, has conveyed that the review should ensure financial parity across all organised Group-A services and rectify disparities in rank progression between CAPF officers and other central services.
Officials said the revised proposals are expected to bring long-awaited clarity to the promotion structure and service conditions within the central forces, marking a major administrative shift in the functioning of India’s paramilitary framework.
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