In a setback to the Centre, the Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking review of its May 23 verdict directing reduction in the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and mandating a cadre review within six months.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan rejected the Centre’s review petition in chambers, stating that no case for reconsideration had been made out. “We have carefully gone through the contents of the review petition and the papers appended therewith and are satisfied that no case for review of the judgment dated May 23, 2025 is made out,” the order dated October 28 stated. The bench also declined the Centre’s request for an open court hearing, noting, “The review petition is, accordingly, dismissed.”
The Centre had sought a review of the May 23 judgment by a bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka (since retired) and Ujjal Bhuyan, which directed the Union government to complete the long-pending cadre review in all CAPFs—ITBP, BSF, CRPF, CISF and SSB—within six months. The cadre review was due in 2021.
The apex court had also instructed the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to take appropriate action within three months of receiving the action taken report from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding cadre review and revision of service/recruitment rules.
In its May ruling, the Supreme Court held that the number of posts earmarked for IPS deputation in CAPFs up to the Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) level should be progressively reduced within two years. The court said this would promote career mobility and address long-standing grievances of stagnation among cadre officers.
“Keeping in mind the twin objectives of service mobility of the cadre officers of CAPF… and removing stagnation on the one hand and the operational/functional requirement of the forces on the other hand, we are of the view that the number of posts earmarked for deputation… should be progressively reduced over a period of time, say within an outer limit of two years,” the bench had held.
The Supreme Court acknowledged that CAPF officers serve under “very demanding conditions” and face career stagnation due to lateral entry of IPS officers into higher ranks. It observed that such stagnation could “adversely impact the morale of the forces.”
The bench emphasised that the Centre’s policy to have IPS officers in CAPFs was a matter of governance, but said the legitimate concerns of cadre officers must also be addressed. “Their dedicated service upholding the security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation while safeguarding our borders and maintaining internal security cannot be ignored or overlooked,” the court noted.
The ruling reaffirmed that reducing IPS deputation would allow CAPF officers greater participation in decision-making within their organisations, ensuring institutional parity and boosting morale across the forces.
With the review plea now dismissed, the Centre must comply with the Supreme Court’s earlier directions and ensure that the cadre review and reduction in IPS deputations are completed within the prescribed timeline.
