Paramilitary forces of India

The Paramilitary Forces of India (PMF) are agencies which aid the operations of the law enforcement agencies of India and the Indian Armed Forces. With over a million personnel in active service, the PMF is one of the world's largest paramilitary organizations.

The PMF consists of several different components with a wide range of roles. Most of these forces, however, tend to share a broadly gendarmerie role and many (but not all) perform counter-insurgency or anti-terrorist missions. The Paramilitary forces are divided into two distinct areas of command:

• The Central Police Organizations (CPO) work in coordination with the Indian Federal Police Agencies, State Police Forces and other Indian Law Enforcement Agencies. The CPO are administered, operated, and commanded by Indian Police Service officers.

• The Central Paramilitary Forces (CPF) work in close cooperation with the Indian Armed Forces (which includes the Indian Army, the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force<!--INDIAN COAST GUARD IS A PARAMILITARY FORCE-->). During a war, the CPF would work directly under the control of the Armed Forces unlike the CPO. The Indian Coast Guard, a component of the CPF, is an agency of the Indian Defense Ministry and works in close coordination with the Indian Navy.

The Central Reserve Police Force, which primarily assists the state police in maintaining law and order, is the largest...
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