| Rapid Action Force | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of Rapid Action Force | |
| Common name | RAF |
| Motto | "Serving Humanity with Sensitive Policing" |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 11 November 1991 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | India |
| Governing body | Ministry of Home Affairs (India) |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Minister responsible |
|
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | Central Reserve Police Force[1] |
| Notables | |
| Anniversary |
|
| Website | |
| RAF website | |
The Rapid Action Force (RAF), is aspecialized rapid reaction wing of theCentral Reserve Police Force (CRPF) ofIndia established in October 1992 to deal with riot and crowd control situations.[2]
RAF was established on 11 December 1991 by theUnion Home Ministry with headquarters inNew Delhi.[3] It became fully operational on 7 October 1992, todeal with riots, riot-like situations,crowd control, rescue and relief operations, and related unrest.[2][4] The first five battalions were operationalized by October 1992 and an additional 5 battalions were added in April 1994.
On 7 October 2003, with 11 years of service, the force was presented with thePresident's Colour.[2] On 9 November 2013, the RAF Academy of Public Order was established in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.[5][6] In 2017, the Indian government approved an additional five battalions to be based in New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.[7]
RAF is commanded by anInspector-General of Police (IGP), functioning at New Delhi. The RAF is divided into three ranges headed by aDeputy Inspector-General of Police (DIGP) in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Dehradun. It has also a specialized training centre "RAPO" (RAF Academy for Public Order) inMeerut, Uttar Pradesh headed by a DIGP. The RAF has a distinctive uniform with a blue-coloured camouflage pattern which symbolizes peace. Its motto is "Serving Humanity with Sensitive Policing".
It currently has 15 specialized trained and equippedbattalions, which are numbered 83, 91, 97, 99 to 108, 114 and 194 in the CRPF. Each battalion is headed by aCommanding Officer (CO), an officer of the rank ofCommandant.[2] The RAF Battalions of CRPF are located atthe following places:[8]
| S. No. | State | Location | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rajasthan | Jaipur | 83 RAF |
| 2 | Uttar Pradesh | Varanasi | 91 RAF |
| 3 | Karnataka | Shimoga | 97 RAF |
| 4 | Telangana | Rangareddy | 99 RAF |
| 5 | Gujarat | Ahmedabad | 100 RAF |
| 6 | Uttar Pradesh | Prayagraj | 101 RAF |
| 7 | Maharashtra | Mumbai | 102 RAF |
| 8 | Delhi | Wazirabad | 103 RAF |
| 9 | Uttar Pradesh | Aligarh | 104 RAF |
| 10 | Tamil Nadu | Coimbatore | 105 RAF |
| 11 | Jharkhand | Jamshedpur | 106 RAF |
| 12 | Madhya Pradesh | Bhopal | 107 RAF |
| 13 | Uttar Pradesh | Meerut | 108 RAF |
| 14 | Bihar | Hajipur Vaishali | 114 RAF |
| 15 | Haryana | Nuh | 194 RAF |
A team is the smallest independent functional unit of the force and is commanded by anInspector. Each team has three components: riot control, tear smoke, and fire. Each company of RAF has one team composed of women personnel to deal with women demonstrators.[2]
The force is equipped withnon-lethal weapons for dispersing the crowd with minimum harm and losses. It is always kept in readiness for rapid deployment when the situation so demands and are only deployed by the orders ofMinistry of Home Affairs on specific demands from state governments for a short duration.[9]
This unit has been used to deal with communal violence, law and order duty, festival and election duties and agitation.[7]
The CRPF female and male contingents under the arrangements of RAF are deployed in United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), Monrovia and Zwedru in UN Peacekeeping mission since 2007–08. CRPF Female Formed Police Unit was the first of its kind in the world, which was deployed under the aegis of UN Peace Keeping Mission.[2]
RAF has also succeeded in projecting the human face of the Government and built bridges with the public by carrying out prompt rescue and relief operations during floods, earthquakes, cyclones and outbreak of epidemics in various parts of the country.[2]
Kamlesh Kumari of the 88 Mahila Battalion was posthumously awarded theAshoka Chakra for her bravery during the2001 Indian Parliament attack.[10]
RAF was active during the 2002Swaminarayan Akshardham temple attack inGandhinagar,Gujarat.[11]
During the November2008 Mumbai Terror Attacks, RAF was involved in cordoning the areas around the Oberoi Trident and the Taj Mahal hotels.[12]
The RAF Coys (Companies) are deployed on the request of State Governments for law and order duties, maintenance of peace during various festivals and communal riots, etc. on a short-term basis.