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{{Short description|Central police force in India}}
{{About|2=militarized police unit in Sudan|3=Central Reserve Forces}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox law enforcement agency
| agencyname = Central Reserve Police Force
| commonname = CRP force
| abbreviation = CRPF
| logo = Central Reserve Police Force emblem.svg
| flag = Flag of Central Reserve Police Forces.png
| flagcaption = Flag of the Central Reserve Police Force
| logocaption = [[Emblem]] of the Central Reserve Police Force
| motto = "सेवा और निष्ठा"
| mottotranslated = Service and Loyalty
| formed = {{Unbulleted_list|{{Start date and age|1939|07|27|df=yes}} {{small|(as Crown Representative's Police)}}|{{Start date and age|1949|12|28|df=yes}} {{small|(as Central Reserve Police Force)}}}}
| preceding1 =
| employees = 313,678 active personnel
| budget = {{INRConvert|38517.93|c}} {{small|(2026–2027)}}<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 Feb 2026 |title=DEMAND NO. 51, Demands for Grants, 2026-2027, MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS |url=https://www.indiabudget.gov.in/doc/eb/sbe51.pdf |access-date=1 Feb 2026 |website=IndiaBudget.gov.in |pages=5 |publication-place=[[New Delhi]]}}</ref>
| country = India
| federal =
| governingbody = [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]
| constitution1 = Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949<ref>{{cite web|title= The Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949|url=https://mha.gov.in/sites/default/files/crpf_act1949_0.pdf}}</ref>
| gendarmerie = Yes
| speciality1 =
| speciality2 =
| speciality3 =
| headquarters = CGO Complex, New Delhi, Delhi
| electeetype = Minister
| minister1name = [[Amit Shah]]
| minister1pfo = Union Minister of Home Affairs
| chief1name = [[Gyanendra Pratap Singh]], [[Indian Police Service|IPS]]
| chief1position = [[Director General]]
| unitname = {{collapsible list|[[Commando Battalion for Resolute Action]]|[[Rapid Action Force]]|[[CRPF Valley QAT|CRPF QAT]]|Special Duty Group|VIP Security Group}}
| child1agency =
| child2agency =
| child3agency =
| child4agency =
| unittype =
| lockuptype =
| programme1 = Operation All Out (J&K)
| activitytype = Operation
| anniversary1 = {{Unbulleted_list|Valour Day {{small|(9 April)}} Police Commemoration Day {{small|(21 October)}}}}
| website = {{URL|https://crpf.gov.in/}}
| child5agency =
| child6agency =
| anniversary2 =
| programme2 = Anti-Naxal Operations (LWE Region)
}}
The '''Central Reserve Police Force''' ('''CRPF''') is a [[Central Armed Police Forces|central armed police force]] in [[India]], under the [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]. The CRPF assists [[States and union territories of India|states and Union Territories]] in maintaining law and order and [[internal security]]. It is composed of the Central Reserve Police Force ([[Regular army|Regular]]) and Central Reserve Police Force ([[Auxiliaries|Auxiliary]]).

It was established on 27 July 1939 as Crown Representative's Police with the objective of providing security to the British Crown Representatives in India. The force was later renamed as the Central Reserve Police Force by an Act of Parliament in 1949. The CRPF played a major role in the Parliamentary elections of September 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Nigam |date=2024-08-26 |title=Role Of CRPF In Election Duty, Challenges During Election Duty |url=https://www.pw.live/exams/defence/role-of-crpf-in-election-duty/ |access-date=2024-10-15 |website=PHYSICS WALLAH |language=en-IN}}</ref>

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the largest [[Central Armed Police Forces|central armed police force]] in India, comprising 247 battalions and exceeding a total strength of 301,376 personnel, as of 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |title=crpf.nic.in/milestones-of-bravery |url=http://crpf.nic.in/milestones-of-bravery.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705121356/http://crpf.nic.in/milestones-of-bravery.html |archive-date=5 July 2017 |access-date=5 July 2017 |website=crpf.nic}}</ref> CRPF officers are also deployed in United Nations missions.

==History==
{{Indian Armed Forces sidebar}}
Originally constituted as the Crown Representative Police in 1939, CRP was raised in response to the political unrest and agitations in the then [[Princely state|Princely States of India]] following the Madras Resolution of the All-India Congress Committee in 1936 and the ever-growing desire of the Crown Representative to help the vast majority of the native States preserve law and order as part of imperial policy.

After Independence, the force was renamed the Central Reserve Police Force by an Act of Parliament on 28 December 1949. This Act constituted CRPF as an armed force of the Union. [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]], the then Home Minister, visualised a multi-dimensional role for it in tune with the changing needs of a newly independent nation. The force played a significant role during the amalgamation of the princely States into the Indian Union. It helped the Union Government discipline the rebellious [[Junagadh State|princely State of Junagadh]] and the small principality of Kathiawar in Gujarat which had declined to join the Indian Union.

During the early 1950s, the performance of the CRPF detachments in enforcing [[rule of law|law and order]] in Bhuj, the then [[Patiala and East Punjab States Union]] and Chambal ravines was appreciated by all quarters.

On 21 October 1959, SI Karam Singh and 20 other CRPF personnel were attacked by the [[People's Liberation Army|Chinese Army]] at [[Hot Springs, Chang Chenmo Valley|Hot Springs]] in [[Ladakh]] resulting in 10 casualties. The survivors were imprisoned. Since then, 21 October has been observed as [[Martyrs' Day (India)#21 October|Police Commemoration]] day nationwide, across all states in India.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Milestones of Bravery |url=http://crpf.nic.in/milestones-of-bravery.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705121356/http://crpf.nic.in/milestones-of-bravery.html |archive-date=5 July 2017 |access-date=5 July 2017 |website=crpf.nic.in}}</ref>

In the late 50s and early 60s, contingents of the CRPF were sent to Kutch, Rajasthan, and Sindh borders to check infiltration and trans-border crimes. They were, subsequently, deployed on the Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir following attacks launched by the Pakistani infiltrators.

During the [[Sino-Indian War]] of 1962, the Force once again assisted the Indian Army in Arunachal Pradesh. Eight CRPF personnel were killed in action. In the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars also the Force fought shoulder-to-shoulder with the Indian Army, both on the Western and Eastern borders.

For the first time in history, thirteen companies of CRPF were airlifted to join the [[Indian Peace Keeping Force]] in [[Sri Lanka]] to fight the militant cadres. Besides, CRPF personnel were also sent to Haiti, Namibia, Somalia, and Maldives to deal with the law and order situation there, as a part of the UN Peacekeeping Force.

In the late seventies, when extremist elements disturbed the peace in Tripura and Manipur, CRPF battalions were deployed in strength. Simultaneously, there was turmoil in the Brahmaputra Valley. The CRPF had to be inducted in strength not only to maintain law and order but also to keep lines of communication free from disruption. The commitments of the Force continue to be very high in the Northeast in dealing with the insurgency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://crpf.gov.in/rec/history-crpf.htm|title=History of CRPF {{!}} About Us {{!}} Central Reserve Police Force, Government of India.|website=crpf.gov.in|access-date=7 June 2019}}</ref>

==Organization==
===Administration===
The CRPF is headed by a [[director general|Director General]] and is assisted by 3 Additional Directors General, 9 Inspectors General, a Financial Advisor, and a Director (Medical). It is divided into ten administrative sectors, each headed by an inspector general. Each sector consists of one or more administrative and/or Operational Ranges, headed by an officer of the rank of deputy inspector general (DIG) of Police. Now, Group Centres are also headed by DIGs. The Financial Advisor of the CRPF has been an [[Indian Revenue Service]] officer of the rank of Joint Secretary and also has Dy Advisors from the Indian Audit and Accounts [[Indian Audit and Accounts Service]] or the Indian Telecom.

===Subdivisions===
[[File:The CRPF marching contingents passes through the Rajpath during the 66th Republic Day Parade 2015, in New Delhi on January 26, 2015.jpg|alt=|thumb|CRPF (CoBRA) personnel during the Republic Day Parade, 2015.]]
There are 247 [[battalion]]s of approximately 1,200 each. Each battalion is commanded by a [[commanding officer]] of the rank [[Commandant]], and consists of seven CRPF companies, each containing 135 men. Each company is headed by an [[Assistant commandant|Assistant Commandant,(Company Commander).]]

The Ministry of Home Affairs planned to raise 2 Group Centers, 2 Range HQs, 1 Sector HQ, and 12 new battalions including a Mahila (all-female) battalion by 2019.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/AR(E)1516.pdf|title=MHA Annual Report 2015-16|website=[[National Informatics Centre]]|publisher=[[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]|page=172|access-date=27 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170625213524/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/AR(E)1516.pdf|archive-date=25 June 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The CRPF force is organised into a headquarters, three attached wings, and four zones. An attached wing is headed by an additional director general and is subdivided into branches which are headed by an inspector general. A zone is either headed by an additional director general or a special director general. A zone is subdivided into sectors where each sector is headed by an inspector general.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Organisation Structure - CRPF |url=https://crpf.gov.in/Organization-Structure |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=crpf.gov.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Organisation Chart - CRPF |url=https://crpf.gov.in/Organization-Structure/Organization-Chart |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=crpf.gov.in}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Zone
!Branch / zone in-charge
!Branch / sector
|-
| rowspan="5" |Headquarters
| rowspan="5" |Shri Sandeep Khirwar, IPS, SDG
|Establishment
|-
|Personnel
|-
|Provisioning
|-
|Works
|-
|Finance
|-
| rowspan="6" |Operations
| rowspan="6" |Shri Vitul Kumar, IPS, SDG
|Administration
|-
|CoBRA
|-
|Comms & IT
|-
|Intelligence
|-
|RAF
|-
|V.S.
|-
| rowspan="2" |Training
| rowspan="2" |Shri Deepak Kumar, IPS, SDG
|Training Institutions
|-
|ISA Mt. Abu
|-
|CRPF Academy
|Shri Deepak Kumar, IPS, SDG
|CRPF Academy
|-
| rowspan="4" |North-East

(Spl. DG-GTY)
| rowspan="4" |Shri Raja Srivastava, IPS, SDG
|Jorhat
|-
|Manipur and Nagaland
|-
|Tripura
|-
|North Eastern
|-
| rowspan="3" |Southern

(ADG-HYD)
| rowspan="3" |Shri Ravideep Singh Sahi, CRP, ADG
|Western
|-
|Southern
|-
|Karnataka-Kerala
|-
| rowspan="8" |Central

(Spl. DG-KOL)
| rowspan="8" |Shri Amit Kumar, IPS, SDG
|Bihar
|-
|Central
|-
|Madhya Pradesh
|-
|Eastern
|-
|Odisha
|-
|Chhattisgarh
|-
|Jharkhand
|-
|West Bengal
|-
| rowspan="6" |Jammu & Kashmir

(Spl. DG-JMU)
| rowspan="6" |Shri Rajesh Kumar, IPS, SDG
|Jammu
|-
|Northern
|-
|Rajasthan
|-
|North Western
|-
|Srinagar
|-
|Operations Kashmir
|}
Details of the composition of zones:

* '''Central Zone''' - 8 sectors, 24 Ranges, 19 Group Centres, 91 administrative battalions, 98 operational battalions. 9 Composite Hospitals. 2 Central Workshops, 1 Armament Workshop, 2 Central Training Centres, 3 Recruit Training Centres, and 1 Central Institute of Advanced Training.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Central Zone - CRPF |url=https://crpf.gov.in/Dte/Zone/Central-Zone/About-Central-Zone |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=crpf.gov.in}}</ref>
* '''Jammu & Kashmir Zone''' - 6 sectors (including 1 Operations Sector). 80 operational battalions (including Chandigarh 1 Mahila Bn) are deployed in the area of responsibility of this Zone.<ref>{{Cite web |title=J&K Zone - CRPF |url=https://crpf.gov.in/Dte/Zone/J-&-K-Zone/About-J-&-K-Zone |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=crpf.gov.in}}</ref>
* '''Southern Zone''' - The zone has 3 sectors consisting of 07 Ranges (including one Operations range), 8 Group Centres, 7 Composite Hospitals, 1 Station Hospital, 1 Central Weapon Store, 2 Arms Work Shop, 2 Central Training College, 2 Recruit Training College, 1 Dog Breeding & Training School at Taralu, 1 Improvised Explosive Device School at [[Pune]], 1 College of Information Technology at [[Bangalore]], 1 National Institute of Jungle Craft at [[Belgaum]], 1 Training Node at [[Hyderabad]], CIAT Chittoor, 3 [[National Disaster Response Force]] Battalions, 3 Mahila Battalions at [[Nagpur]], [[Gandhinagar]] and [[Bangalore]], 38 Administrative Battalions, 19 Operational Battalions and 5 Rapid Action Force (RAF) Battalions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Southern Zone - CRPF |url=https://crpf.gov.in/Dte/Zone/Southern-Zone/About-Southern-Zone |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=crpf.gov.in}}</ref>
* '''North East Zone''' - The zone has 4 sectors consisting of 6 Group Centres, 60 battalions, 1 CoBRA battalion, 1 Central Institute of Advanced Training, 1 Composite Hospital (100 beds), and 2 Composite Hospitals (50 beds).<ref>{{Cite web |title=North East Zone - CRPF |url=https://crpf.gov.in/Dte/Zone/North-East-Zone/Organization-Structure |access-date=2024-07-09 |website=crpf.gov.in}}</ref>

==Major Subunits==
===Rapid Action Force===
{{Main|Rapid Action Force}}
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) is a specialised unit under the CRPF. It has a total strength of 15 [[battalions]] and was formed in October 1992, as a [[riot control]] force to deal with communal and related civil unrest. The battalions are numbered from 99 to 108. The RAF is a zero-response force intended to quickly respond to a crisis.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://crpf.nic.in/RAFSector.htm|title=RAF Sector|website=crpf.nic.in|access-date=5 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006112257/http://www.crpf.nic.in/RAFSector.htm|archive-date=6 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

It was the recipient of the President's color presented by Shri [[L.K. Advani]], then Deputy Prime Minister of India, on 7 October 2003 for "its selfless service to the nation in the 11th year of coming into existence".

The smallest functional unit in the force is a 'Team' commanded by an [[inspector]], which has three components — a riot control element, a [[tear gas]] element, and a fire element. It has been organised as an independent strike unit.

One team in each [[Company (military unit)|company]] of the RAF is composed of female personnel to deal more effectively with situations where the force faces women demonstrators.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://crpf.nic.in/about-sector-RAF.htm|title=About Sector|website=crpf.nic.in|access-date=5 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702085405/http://www.crpf.nic.in/about-sector-RAF.htm|archive-date=2 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Special Duty Group===
It is a battalion-sized unit of the CRPF tasked with providing security for the outer cordon of the [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister's]] official residence on [[7, Lok Kalyan Marg]] and his [[Prime Minister's Office (India)|office]] in the North Block as well as during outdoor functions. It comprises around 1,000 personnel.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dailypioneer.com/2020/india/crpf-orders-enquiry-after-expired-polio-vaccines-given-to-some-infants-at-medical-camp.html| title=CRPF orders enquiry after expired polio vaccines given to some infants at medical camp|date=20 May 2020|access-date=17 May 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2020/may/20/crpf-orders-inquiry-in-botched-up-vaccination-drive-among-personnels-children-2145666.html| title=CRPF orders inquiry in 'botched up' vaccination drive among personnel's children|date=20 May 2020|access-date=17 May 2021}}</ref>

On 20 May 2024, the Parliamentary Duty Group (PDG) of CRPF ceased to function and was merged with the VIP security wing of the force as the security of [[Parliament House, New Delhi|parliament house]] was handed over to the CISF by the government due to a security breach issue.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-05-20 |title=CISF takes over Parliament security from May 20 as CRPF exits |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/cisf-takes-over-parliament-security-from-may-20-following-as-crpf-exits/articleshow/110263017.cms |access-date=2024-09-01 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref>

===CoBRA===
{{Main|Commando Battalion for Resolute Action}}
Commando Battalion for Resolute Action<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://crpf.nic.in/cobra-sector.htm|title=CoBRA Sector|website=crpf.nic.in|access-date=5 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705110718/http://www.crpf.nic.in/cobra-sector.htm|archive-date=5 July 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> (CoBRA) is the special operation unit of CRPF created in 2008 to deal the [[Naxalite insurgency]] in India. This specialised CRPF unit is one of the few units of the ''[[Central Armed Police Forces]]'' in the country that is specifically trained in guerilla warfare. This elite fighting unit has been trained to track, hunt, and eliminate small Naxalite groups. There are currently 10 battalion-sized COBRA units.

10 CoBRA units raised between 2008 and 2011 have been trained, equipped, and deployed in all LWE/ Insurgent affected areas of the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, as well as Assam & Meghalaya is one of the best Central Armed Police in the country trained to survive, fight and win in the jungle.

CoBRA was awarded four [[Shaurya Chakra]]s, one [[Kirti Chakra]], one [[President's Police Medal|PPMG]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://crpf.nic.in/about-sector-cobra-sector.htm|title=About Sector {{!}} CoBRA Sector {{!}} Central Reserve Police Force, Government of India|website=crpf.nic.in|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161219050329/http://crpf.nic.in/about-sector-cobra-sector.htm|archive-date=19 December 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> 117 PMGs, and 1267 DG commendations.

==Personnel==
===Rank structure===
{{Main|List of police ranks in India|Indian Police Service}}
The organization is structured mainly on three rank categories which include Gazetted Officers (GOs), [[Subordinate officer|Subordinate Officers]] (SOs), and Non-Gazetted Officers (NGOs). The [[Assistant commandant|Assistant Commandants]] are Group 'A' Gazetted officers, directly appointed upon clearing an exam conducted by the UPSC which is held yearly.

; Officers
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armed Forces/OF/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OF/India (CRPF)}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
| rowspan=1| '''Police equivalent'''
| colspan=4|
| style="vertical-align:top;" colspan=2 rowspan=1 |
{| style="background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"
| Director General {{Small|([[Director general of police|DGP]])}}
| Director General {{Small|(DG)}}
| Additional Director General {{Small|([[Additional director general of police|ADGP]])}}
|}
| colspan=2| Inspector General {{Small|([[Inspector General of Police|IGP]])}}
| colspan=2| Deputy Inspector General {{Small|([[Deputy inspector general of police#India|DIG]])}}
| colspan=2| Senior Superintendent {{Small|([[Superintendent of Police (India)|SSP]])}}
| colspan=2| Superintendent {{Small|([[Superintendent of Police (India)|SP]])}}
| colspan=2| Additional Superintendent {{Small|([[Additional Superintendent of Police|Addl.SP]])}}
| colspan=2| Deputy Superintendent {{Small|([[Deputy Superintendent of Police#India|DSP]]/[[Assistant superintendent#India|ASP]])}}
| colspan=6| ''No equivalent''
|- style="text-align:center;"
| rowspan=1| '''Army equivalent'''
| colspan=4|
| colspan=2| Lieutenant general
| colspan=2| Major general
| colspan=2| Brigadier
| colspan=2| Colonel
| colspan=2| Lieutenant colonel
| colspan=2| Major
| colspan=2| Captain
| colspan=6| Lieutenant
|}

; Other ranks
{| style="border:1px solid #8888aa; background-color:#f7f8ff; padding:5px; font-size:95%; margin: 0px 12px 12px 0px;"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
{{Ranks and Insignia of Indian forces/OR/Blank}}
{{Ranks and Insignia of Non NATO Armies/OR/India (CRPF)}}
|}

Being a central Indian police agency and having a high presence of [[Indian Police Service]] officers, CRPF follows ranks and insignia similar to other police organizations in India.


=== List of Directors General ===
V. G. Kanetkar was the first director general of the Central Reserve Police Force, serving from 3 August 1968 to 15 September 1969.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://crpf.nic.in/former-dg.htm|title=Former DG|website=crpf.nic.in|access-date=12 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220040527/http://www.crpf.nic.in/former-dg.htm|archive-date=20 December 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The current director general is Gyanendra Pratap Singh in office since 20 January 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=gp singh - Google Search |url=https://www.google.com/search?q=gp+singh&tbm=nws&fbs=AEQNm0Aa4sjWe7Rqy32pFwRj0UkWtG_mNb-HwafvV8cKK_h1a0WYAF4mXQP8CuyQXqW6TNwFzFqSIycQx-vLTqHkOqpNMC7CWQcbQhu833ia223_4OZxCe8DIWHtrZv8OB6kVknMhX-H5fRBkE0Z9esTvAjbiZQMSoLsxx6sBNyQor4IAvaNglm6nxrD9_hiEh2j1nXqioq63P-pykXdtKxLiW1Ipl-8mg |access-date=2025-01-19 |website=www.google.com}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Sr No.
!Name
!From
!Till
|-
|1
| V. G. Kanetkar
|3 August 1968
|15 September 1969
|-
|2
| Imdad Ali
|16 September 1969
|28 February 1973
|-
|3
| B. B. Mishra
|1 March 1973
|30 September 1974
|-
|4
| N. S. Saxena
|30 September 1974
|31 May 1977
|-
|5
| S. M. Ghosh
|1 June 1977
|31 July 1978
|-
|6
| R. C. Gopal
|31 July 1978
|10 August 1979
|-
|7
| P. R. Rajagopal
|10 August 1979
|30 March 1980
|-
|8
| Birbal Nath
|13 May 1980
|3 September 1980
|-
|9
| R. N. Sheopory
|3 September 1980
|31 December 1981
|-
|10
| S. D. Chowdhury
|27 January 1982
|30 April 1983
|-
|11
| Shival Swarup
|30 July 1983
|7 May 1985
|-
|12
| J. F. Ribeiro
|4 June 1985
|8 July 1985
|-
|13
| T. G. L. Iyer
|July 1985
|Nov 1985
|-
|14
| S. D. Pandey
|1 November 1985
|31 March 1988
|-
|15
|[[P. G. Harlankar]]
|1 April 1988
|30 September 1990
|-
|16
| [[Kanwar Pal Singh Gill]]
|19 December 1990
|8 November 1991
|-
|17
| S. Subramanian
|9 November 1991
|31 January 1992
|-
|18
| D. P. N. Singh
|1 February 1992
|30 November 1993
|-
|19
| S. V. M. Tripathi
|1 December 1993
|30 June 1996
|-
|20
| M. B. Kaushal
|1 October 1996
|12 November 1997
|-
|21
| M. N. Sabharwal
|2 December 1997
|31 July 2000
|-
|22
| Trinath Mishra
|31 July-2000
|31 December 2002
|-
|23
| S. C. Chaube
|31 December 2002
|31 January 2004
|-
|24
| [[J. K. Sinha]]
|31 January 2004
|28 February 2007
|-
|25
| S. I. S. Ahmed
|1 March 2007
|31 March 2008
|-
|26
| V. K. Joshi
|31 March 2008
|28 February 2009
|-
|27
| A. S. Gill
|28 February 2009
|31 January 2010
|-
|28
| Vikram Srivastava
|31 January 2010
|6 October 2010
|-
|29
| [[K. Vijay Kumar]]
|7 October 2010
|30 September 2012
|-
|30
| Pranay Sahay
|1 October 2012
|31 July 2013
|-
|31
| Dilip Trivedi
|17 August 2013
|30 November 2014
|-
|32
| Prakash Mishra
|1 December 2014
|29 February 2016
|-
|33
| K. Durga Prasad
| 1 March 2016
| 28 February 2017
|-
| 34
| [[Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar]]
| 27 April 2017
| 13 January 2020
|-
| 35
| [[Anand Prakash Maheshwari|Dr. Anand Prakash Maheshwari]]
| 13 January 2020
| 28 February 2021
|-
| 36
| Kuldeep Singh
| 16 March 2021
| 30 September 2022
|-
|37
| Dr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen
|1 October 2022
|31 December 2023
|-
|38
| [[Anish Dayal Singh]]
|1 January 2024
|31 December 2024
|-
|39
|[[Gyanendra Pratap Singh]]
|20 January 2025
|''Incumbent''
|}

==Awards==
[[File:Medallist2018.jpg|thumb|246x246px|'''List of Gallantry-Medals/Awards as on 14 September 2018''']]
Members of the CRPF have been awarded 2468 medals.<ref name=":2"/>

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
!Sl No
!Medal Name
!Numbers
|-
|01
|[[George Cross]]
|01
|-
|02
|[[Queen's Police Medal|King's Police Medal for Gallantry]]
|03
|-
|03
|[[Ashoka Chakra (military decoration)|Ashok Chakra]]
|01
|-
|04
|[[Kirti Chakra]]
|10
|-
|05
|[[Padma Shri]]
|01
|-
|06
|[[Vir Chakra]]
|01
|-
|07
|[[Shaurya Chakra]]
|39
|-
|08
|[[Awards and Decorations of the Indian Armed Forces|President's Police and Fire Services Medal for Gallantry]]
|49
|-
|09
|[[President's Police Medal]] for Gallantry
|202
|-
|10
|[[Yudh Seva Medal]]
|01
|-
|11
|[[Sena Medal]]
|05
|-
|11
|[[Vishisht Seva Medal]]
|04
|-
|12
|[[Police Medal (India)|Police Medal for Gallantry]]
|2027
|-
|13
|IPMG
|05
|-
|14
|[[Jeevan Raksha Padak]]
|04
|-
|15
|Prime Minister's Police Medal for Life Saving
|114
|-
|'''Total'''
|
|'''2468'''
|}

CRPF bagged the highest number of gallantry medals amongst all paramilitary forces. The force was awarded 30 gallantry medals on Republic Day 2022.

== In popular culture ==
The acronym CRPF has been expanded as "Chalte Raho Pyare Force" ({{lit|Keep moving my friend force|Keep Moving, Beloved Force}}) since they are constantly on the move from one troubled place in India to another.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Halarnkar|first=Samar|date=2010-04-07|title=No time for war|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/no-time-for-war/story-OaNnRr8MrCKi2LkOiyIorN.html|access-date=2020-07-09|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|last=Raza|first=M. Maroof|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zn65l2PdfYIC&q=chalte+raho+pyare+force&pg=PA94|title=Confronting Terrorism|date=2009|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-670-08369-5|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Joshi|first=Manoj|date=10 January 2017|title=BSF Jawan's Video Has a Simple Message: India Should be Ready to Pay for Security|url=https://thewire.in/security/bsf-army-jawan|access-date=2020-07-09|website=The Wire}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Ministry of Home Affairs (India)|Ministry of Home Affairs]]
* [[Border Security Force]]
* [[Indo-Tibetan Border Police]]
* [[Central Industrial Security Force]]
* [[Sashastra Seema Bal]]
* [[Assam Rifles]]
* [[National Security Guard]]
* [[Border outpost]]
* [[Operation Green Hunt]]
* [[Indian Coast Guard]]
* [[Central Reserve Police Force Sporting Club|Central Reserve Police Force SC]]
* [[Internal Security Academy]]
* [[People's Armed Police]]
* [[National Guard of Russia|Russian National Guard]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|www.crpf.gov.in}}

{{Home Ministry (India)}}
{{Law enforcement agencies of India}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Government agencies established in 1939]]
[[Category:Federal law enforcement agencies of India]]
[[Category:Units of the Indian Peace Keeping Force]]
[[Category:Central Armed Police Forces of India]]
[[Category:1939 establishments in British India]]
[[Category:India in World War II]]
[[Category:Specialist law enforcement agencies of India]]
[[Category:Insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir]]

Central Reserve Police Force - Revision history

Saurabh jain at 07:50, 7 March 2026