The difference between the Indian Army and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) is explained here in detail.Â
Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a Four-Star general.Â
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) refer to the security forces in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Their role is to defend the national interest mainly against internal threats.Â
Visit the IAS Exam page for dates, structure, and other details relevant to the aspirants of the Civil Services exam.Â
Difference between Indian Army and CAPF – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here
The major differences between the Indian Army and the CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) are:
| Indian Army | CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces) |
| Indian Army comes under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India. | The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) come under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. |
| Indian Army, Indian Airforce, and Indian Navy come under the category of Indian Armed Forces. Indian Army is the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. Indian Army is the largest standing army in the world. Indian Army is operationally and geographically divided into 7 Commands. | There are 7 different security forces under Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) – National Security Guard (NSG), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP). Personnel of the Central Armed Police Force also serve in important organizations like Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB). |
| Indian Army was founded on 1st April 1895. | BSF was founded on 1st December 1965.
CRPF was founded on 27th July 1939 (Crown Representative’s Police) CISF was founded on 10th March 1969. ITBP was formed on 24 October 1962. NSG was formed on 22 September 1986. SSB was formed in March 1963. |
| The Indian Army operates six operational commands and one training command. | The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is the largest of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). The CRPF has Rapid Action Force (RAF) and Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) working under it. |
| The task of the Indian Army is to protect Indian borders from external threats emanating from terrorism and the Armed Forces of hostile nations. In the event of war with another nation, it is the role of the Indian Army to protect India. Indian Army has been consistently contributing to the United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Force across the globe. Usually, the largest contingent of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force is from the Indian Army. Indian Army also regularly conducts Military Exercises with many friendly nations like the USA, France, Russia, the UK, etc. | The mandate of the Central Armed Police Force is to protect India from internal threats like Riots, Ethnic violence, North East Insurgency, and Left-Wing Extremism. ITBP is tasked with protecting the Indo-China border, and CISF protects critical infrastructures of India like Airports, Ports, Nuclear Power Plants, Public Sector Undertakings, etc. Border Security Force guards the Indo-Pakistan Border and India-Bangladesh Border. The COBRA of the CRPF takes part in Anti-Naxal operations. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is tasked with protecting Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders. NSG undertakes anti-terrorism operations within India. |
| Recruitment for the Indian Army is done through Combined Defence Services Examination. | Recruitment for Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) is done through the Central Armed Police Force Exam. |
| The head of the Indian Army is a 4 Star Officer equivalent to the Rank of Army General. | The head of the Central Armed Police Forces is a 3 Star Officer equivalent to the Rank of Director-General of Police. |
After learning about the differences between the Indian Army and Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), visit the below-given links to learn more about Joint Military Exercises conducted between the Indian Army and the Armed Forces of various other countries.
- List of Indian Army Exercises – Bilateral Military Exercises
- Armed Forces of India
- UPSC Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) – Admit Card, Details, Notification
- Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) – Recruitment, Salary, Vacancies
- CRPF Recruitment – Salary, Vacancies, Exam Details
- Border Security Force – Assistant Commandant Eligibility, Exam Dates, Syllabus
- Sashastra Seema Bal Recruitment – Details, Syllabus, Exam Pattern
- Malabar Exercise – Navies of India, US, Japan
- Yudh Abhyas Military Exercise – Indian and US Army
- Vajra Prahar Military Exercise- Special Forces of India and US
- Hand in Hand Joint Military Exercise – Indian Army and Chinese Army
- Shakti Exercise: Joint Military Exercise – Indian Army and French Army
- Defence Communication Network
- Central Intelligence and Investigative Agencies of India
- Difference between Articles – Complete List (History, Geography, Polity, and More)
Difference between Indian Army and CAPF – UPSC Notes:- Download PDF Here
To understand the syllabus for the UPSC Civil Services Exam, visit the given link to the IAS Syllabus page.
Frequently Asked Questions on Difference Between Indian Army and CAPF
Q 1. How are Indian Army and CAPF different?
Q 2. When were CAPF and the Indian Army established?
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| UPSC 2023 | UPSC Calendar 2023 |
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| PM-SYM | The Hindu Editorial |
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