India, Aug. 2 -- group of paramilitary officers have approached the Supreme Court challenging certain sections of the newly-enacted CAPFs (General Administration) Act claiming this law will continue to restrict their career progression, official sources said on Saturday. The matter has been listed by the apex court for hearing in the first week of August, according to court documents. Officers and their legal representatives told news agency that a batch of writ petitions have been filed by about 3,000 cadre officials drawn from the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) like the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB.
They said the petitions have been filed under Article 32 of the Constitution that allows citizens to approach the Supreme Court to enforce their Fundamental Rights. Petitioners said they were "forced" to move the apex court as they feel justice was not served to them by the new Act and the directives of the Supreme Court's May, 2025 verdict were not implemented. We feel that the latest Act will not resolve the huge stagnation and career progression of CAPF cadre officers, they said. The petitioners include gallantry medal winners and a few women officers. The officers have sought declaration of the sections 3 and 4 of the CAPF (General Administration) Act, 2026 as "ultra vires" the Constitution and that the Union government should be directed to give "full effect" to the May, 2025 judgement of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court, on May 23 last year, said that the deputation of Indian Police Service (IPS) officers up to the rank of Inspector General (IG) in the CAPFs should be "progressively reduced" over a period of two years in order to give more opportunities to cadre officers whose delayed promotions can "adversely" impact the morale of these forces.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.