Law enforcement in India
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India has a multitude of Law Enforcement agencies. All agencies are part of the Internal Affairs Ministry (Home Ministry). At the very basic level is the local police which is under state jurisdiction. To select the top government officers, India conducts a Union Public Civil Service Exam which is extremely competitive. One of the branches of the UPSC is the Indian Police Service. The Indian Police Service selects the top candidates who have opted to join it.
Once they have joint they are trained and are absorbed by the local police. After a number of years in service they can join the intelligence departments or various other law enforcement agencies.
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Police
The police is under the state jurisdiction. The police reports to the state home department.
State Police
Each state has a state police. The state police is responsible for maintaining law and order in rural areas. Top police officers are the Director General, Inspector General, Deputy Inspector General, and Superintendent of Police.
City Police
In addition to the state police, major cities have their own city police. The highest rank is the Police Commissioner. Below him are the Joint Police Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Central Bureau of Investigations
The Central Bureau of Investigation is the prime investigating agency of India. It also is India’s representative for the Interpol. The CBI draws its officers from the best IPS officers around the country. It handles crime related to national security and governmental departments. The agency handles crime in which the government may be involved either as the victim or offender.
Criminal Investigations Department
Like the CBI, the CID is used to delve into crime. The CID handles mainly crime relating to murders and such which the local police may not have the expertise to handle.
Home Guards
The Home Guards are an auxiliary police force. They assist the police and the public by maintaining law and order in times of natural and man made disasters.
Rapid Action Force
The Rapid Action Force is a paramilitary outfit used during times of riots or civil disturbances. They wear a camouflaged uniform which is dyed blue.
Railway Protection Force
The RPF is used to guard the Indian Railways. They maintain discipline on platforms as well as travel inside trains to keep passengers secure. Railway accidents are also handled by them.
Central Reserve Police Force
The CRPF helps to maintain India’s security. They are used to fight terrorism and also compliment the police in times of disasters.
Central Industrial Security Force
The CISF are used to guard industrial installations around the country owned by the Central government. Sea ports and Air port security is manned by them.
National Security Guards
The National Security Guards (NSG) is a commando unit originally created for counter-terrorism and hostage rescue missions. Raised in 1986, it is popularly known as the Black Cats for the uniform worn by its operators. Like most military and elite security units in India, it is rather media-shy and the general Indian public is largely unaware of its capabilities and operational details.
The NSG draws its members from the Indian Army and various central police units. It is India's premier counter-terror outfit and is typically deployed in situations that would be beyond the capabilities of regular police units. An NSG team with a dedicated transport aircraft is always stationed at Palam airport in New Delhi, ready to deploy in 30 minutes.
The NSG has also been increasingly tasked with protection of VIP's. This role has expanded in recent years, as several politicians have come to view NSG protection as a status symbol. This has caused some concern among senior NSG officers and Home Ministry officials.
The NSG is reported to have deployed in the insurgency in the state of Jammu & Kashmir and previously in Punjab. The NSG also provides security consulting in India and abroad.
Narcotics Control Bureau
The NCB is responsible for anti narcotic operations all over the country. It checks the spread of the contraband as well as the cultivation of drugs.
Defence Security Corps
Responsible for security of defence establishments.