The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has given in-principle approval to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to raise 20 new battalions, which would bring in more than 20,000 additional personnel for deployment in Jammu and Kashmir. This comes in response to recent security threats, including the April 22 attack in Pahalgam and the ongoing ‘Operation Sindoor’.
A senior official said, “The CRPF had asked for 35 new battalions, but the Ministry has allowed 20 for now. The rest of the proposal is still under review.” He added that the file is likely to be approved by the Union Cabinet soon and the finance ministry has already cleared it.
The newly-raised battalions will have specialised training, especially suited for the terrain and security needs of Jammu and Kashmir. “These will be more focused units with improved operational abilities to tackle the kind of threats we are seeing across the border,” a source said.
The decision signals a shift in strategy by the MHA. With Naxal-related violence on the decline, the focus is “moving toward eliminating terrorism in J&K”. Officials said some of the new battalions will be General Duty units, which handle regular security and law enforcement tasks.
Sources said that even before the new battalions are fully formed, more CRPF companies will be sent to Jammu and Kashmir soon, likely within hours. A senior security official said, “We are expecting major strategic shifts in the region, and CRPF will play a bigger role in maintaining law and order as well as counter-terror operations.”
At present, the CRPF has a total of 247 battalions, including 201 General Duty battalions, six Mahila (women) battalions, 16 Rapid Action Force battalions, and 10 CoBRA battalions. Each battalion generally has around 1,200 personnel.
