Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), India's largest central armed police force, operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

• Established on July 27, 1939, as the Crown Representative's Police, it was reconstituted as the CRPF following the enactment of the CRPF Act on December 28, 1949. 

• The CRPF comprises 246 battalions and numerous other facilities like institutes , hospitals etc.

• CRPF mainly assists the police operations in maintaining law and order and internal security.

• It is headed by a Director General who is an IPS officer.

• It has special units - Rapid Action Force for riot control, Special Duty Group for PM residence security and CoBRA for anti-naxal operations.

Assam Rifles

• Assam Rifles is one of the six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

• It is responsible for maintaining law and order in the North East in collaboration with the Indian Army and also guards the Indo-Myanmar border in the region. 

• With a sanctioned strength of over 63,000 personnel, it comprises 46 battalions in addition to administrative and training staff.

• It is the only paramilitary force with a dual control structure.

• While the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) handles its administrative control, its operational control falls under the Indian Army, which is part of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

• It means that the MHA provides salaries and infrastructure for the force, but the Army determines the deployment, posting, transfer, and deputation of the personnel.

• Founded in 1835 by the British as the 'Cachar Levy' to protect settlements from tribals living in the hilly areas. 

• Additional units were subsequently merged into the ‘Frontier Force’ that extended the administrative control over remote tribal areas.

• During World War I, 3,000 troops served in Europe and West Asia with the British Army. 

• It was renamed the 'Assam Rifles' in 1917, honouring their role alongside British rifle regiments.