Why CAPF (AC) is One of the Best Career Options?

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: September 25th, 2023

The Central Armed Police Forces were set up to protect the internal security of the nation as well as support the defense services in securing the borders of India. All the Central Armed Police Forces function under the purview of MHA, i.e., Ministry of Home Affairs (while on the other hand, the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force come under the Defence Ministry) and have various components and roles. Here in this article, we are discussing important details on why CAPF (AC) is one of the best career options?

Table of content

1. Central Armed Police Forces in India
2. Skills Required for a Career in CAPF
3. Rank Structure in Central Armed Police Forces
4. Difference Between CAPF & Indian Armed Forces
5. Pros of Career in Central Armed Police Forces
6. Cons of Career in Central Armed Police Forces

Apart from maintaining internal security of India by patrolling the Indian borders – from that of the north-east to the Thar desert, the paramilitary is even being deployed for diverse roles like ensuring fair & peaceful conduct of elections, protection against terrorists and Maoists, VIP protection & providing help in the midst of a natural calamity.

Check also: CAPF AC Previous Year Question Papers

Central Armed Police Forces in India

The MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) regulates all the Central Armed Police Forces of India facilitating several functions and roles. The five Central Armed Police Forces in India are as follows

Border Security Force (BSF)
Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)

Every person can’t join Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), few might not meet the eligibility conditions, whereas some might not have the proper skills required to form a career in Central Armed Police Forces. The skills of different jobs may differ, however, general skills needed to become a paramilitary officer remains the same. The below mentions are some of the important skills a candidate of Central Armed Police Forces must-have.

Skills Required for a Career in CAPF

excellent leadership and teamwork skills	a high level of physical fitness	near-perfect vision and colour perception is often required	Determination
self-motivation	Discipline	commitment to the forces	Goal/task-oriented
Self-awareness	Active listener	Alertness	Conflict management skills
Polite and civilized	Adaptability to any change	Readiness	Emotionally intelligent

Rank Structure in Central Armed Police Forces

Central Armed Forces	Equivalent Army ranks
Director-General or Additional Director-General	Lieutenant General
Inspector-General	Major General
Deputy Inspector-General	Brigadier
Commandant	Colonel
Commandant (Junior Grade)	Lieutenant Colonel
Deputy Commandant	Major
Assistant Commandant (for 2 Years)	Captain
Assistant Commandant	Lieutenant

Difference Between CAPF & Indian Armed Forces

People in India usually have a misconception that any armed personnel is either part of the military or the Central Armed Police Force. Knowing the difference between the Military, and Central Armed Forces are essential as most of the common people fail to differentiate different security forces of India such as CISF, BSF, INA, AFA, CRPF, NSG etc.

Both forces are different with a similar aim of protecting India from internal as well as external threats. The table below gives complete differentiation on all the three forces involving the Indian Armed Forces, and Central Armed Police Forces.

Particulars	Indian Armed Forces	Central Armed Police Forces
Organisations	Indian Army– Indian Navy– Indian Air Forces	BSF– CISF – CRPF – ITBP– SSB
Roles	Protecting the nation from external threats	Protection from the internal threats from Left-Wing Extremism, Ethnic Violence, North-East Insurgency, etc.
Reporting	Ministry of Defence (MoD)	Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
Recruiting Exam	CDS	CAPF – AC
Salary in training	INR 56,100 to 1,77,500/–	INR 56,100 to 1,77,500/–
Educational Eligibility	Any graduation/equivalent qualification	Any graduation/equivalent qualification

Pros of Career in Central Armed Police Forces

Job Security	Once got recruited in the Central Armed Police Forces, soldiers are rarely fired or terminated. This is the case with every govt. job in India. Thus, there is a minimum risk of losing the job.
Leave Quota	The Central Armed Police Forces are entitled to annual leaves of as many as sixty days. Additionally, sick leaves & casual leaves are even a part of the leave quota. All these leaves are paid leaves. However, most of the soldiers are not able to consume all their leaves within the specified period.
Military Discounts	Various places across India provide special military discounts around the whole year. As a soldier, one able to travel on discounted tickets, one can also avail subsidized items in the canteen & much more. In addition to this, the paramilitary officials may avail treatment in army hospitals at discounted rates, sometimes even free of cost.
Retirement Benefits	If one has a career in paramilitary or military, he can get retirements earlier than any other type of private jobs. Apart from the early retirement, a paramilitary official is also entitled to several benefits including army canteen facilities, medical facilities, life-long pension, etc.

The true fact is that every good thing has a bad side also. Similarly, a career in Central Armed Police Forces comes with cons as well.

Cons of Career in Central Armed Police Forces

Rank is always greater than the age	There may be times when a cadet has a senior who is younger in age. Thus, one will have to follow the commands.
One can’t quit	While joining the Central Armed Police Forces, the aspirant needs to sign a contract for serving a specific time period in service.
Rigorous lifestyle	Paramilitary may require cadet to follow a tight schedule with daily exercises, alert duties, etc. Thus, this kind of lifestyle can be tiring.
Being away from friends & family	Sometimes a cadet is deployed far away from home, thus, he or she requires to stay away from family and friends for a longer period of time, sometimes more than twelve months.