There is a common misconception that any armed uniform personnel is either part of the military, paramilitary, central armed police force or sometimes with either of the three services
All the three are different in every aspect save for the single goal of protecting India from an existential threat, external or otherwise.
Paramilitary Forces are auxiliary units that assist the defence forces and they include the Assam Rifles and Special Frontier Force (SFF)
The Military comes under the general term of “Defence Forces of India” which is mandated to protect the country from external forces. It includes the army, Navy and the Air Force.
The Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) is responsible for acting against any internal security threat. It includes forces such as the Central Industrial Security Force and ITPB (Indo-Tibetan Border Police)
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The differences between Paramilitary, Military and Central Armed Police Force are given in the table below:
Differences between Paramilitary, Military and Central Armed Police Force
| Paramilitary | Military |
Central Armed Police Force |
| Protection of resources from internal threats like Left-Wing Extremism, Insurgents etc | Protecting the external borders of the country from terrorism and aggression from other countries | These forces provide security to key economic installations from any existential threat they also function on the borders to check illegal border crossings, encroachments, smuggling |
| Varied. Dependent upon the forces in question. For example, Assam Rifles reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs while the Coast Guard reports to the Ministry of Defence | Ministry of Defence | Ministry of Home Affairs |
|
|
|
| 3 Star Officer of Equivalent Rank of Director General of Police | 4 Star Officer of Equivalent Rank of General of Army | As it comes under the Home Ministry it is headed by an IPS (Indian Police Service) Officer A CAPF cadre can officially reach the post of Assistant Director-General of Police but the Director-General post is reserved for IPS |
| Some of the paramilitary wings such as the Assam Rifles originated in 1835 while the Coast Guard originated as late as 1978 | The Indian Military in its current form began from the native armies of the East India Company, which later became the British Indian Army and later was merged into the national army upon independence | The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is the largest industrial security force with over 165,000 personnel |
There are many exams through which one can join these prestigious services. The following links and other allied articles will be of immense help
- Government Exams
- UPSC CAPF Exam
- CAPF Recruitment
- Internal Security Forces of India and their Mandate
- List of Indian Navy Admirals
- List of Air Chief Marshalls
Aspirants can find more Difference Between Articles, by visiting the linked page
Difference Between Military, Paramilitary and Central Armed Forces- Download PDF Here
FAQ about Paramilitary, Military and Central Armed Police Force
How many forces are in paramilitary?
Name the forces under Central Armed Police Force (CAPF)?
Candidates can find the general pattern of the UPSC Exams by visiting the UPSC Syllabus page. For more articles and exam-related preparation materials, refer to the links given in the table below:
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