Police System in India: From State Police to Central Forces (Ranks, Structure, and Posts)

February 10, 2026 Harshvardhan Mishra

India has one of the largest policing systems in the world. The police structure is divided into State Police, Central Police Organizations, and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). These work together to maintain law and order, internal security, border management, crime investigation, and national safety.

This article explains the complete hierarchy from the lowest rank to the highest rank, including state police, IPS officers, and central forces.

Read This: Indian Administrative System: From District Administration to Ministry Level Secretariat

Structure of the Police System in India

India’s policing is divided into three major levels:

1. State Police

Controlled by respective State Governments
Responsible for law and order, crime control, investigation
Headed by the Director General of Police (DGP) (Wikipedia)

2. Central Police Organizations

Work under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
Examples: Intelligence Bureau, CBI, NCRB

3. Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)

Provide internal security and border protection
Examples:
- CRPF
- BSF
- CISF
- ITBP
- SSB (Central Armed Police Forces)

Indian Police Service (IPS)

The IPS is one of the All India Services, recruited by UPSC. Officers are appointed by the Central Government but serve both state and central organizations. (Shiksha)

IPS officers hold most leadership posts in police departments. (Shiksha)
They can serve as:
- SP
- DIG
- IG
- ADG
- DGP

State Police Rank Hierarchy (Lowest to Highest)

Below is the common rank structure followed by most state police forces.

Non-Gazetted Officers

These are ground-level operational officers.

Constable
Head Constable
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI)
Sub-Inspector (SI)
Inspector

These ranks handle:

FIR registration
Patrolling
Investigation
Station-level operations

Many of these posts are filled through state police recruitment boards. (Shiksha)

Gazetted Officers (State Police & IPS Entry Level)

Gazetted officers start from DSP/ASP level. (Directorate of Higher Education Shimla)

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) / Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)
Reminder:

DSP is State Police Service
ASP is IPS entry rank

Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl. SP)
Superintendent of Police (SP)
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP)

SP/SSP usually control a district’s law and order.

Senior IPS Ranks in State Police

Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG)
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP)
Director General of Police (DGP)

ADGP is second-highest rank below DGP. (Wikipedia)
DGP is the highest police officer in a state or UT. (Wikipedia)

Commissionerate System (Urban Police Administration)

In addition to the traditional district policing model led by the Superintendent of Police (SP), many large and high-population cities in India follow the Commissionerate System. This system is designed to provide faster decision-making and better law-and-order management in complex urban environments.

Under the commissionerate model, certain executive magistrate powers—which are normally exercised by the District Magistrate in the traditional system—are granted to senior police leadership. This allows the police to take immediate action during emergencies, public gatherings, riots, traffic control situations, and major law-and-order challenges.

The commissionerate system is implemented in several major cities across different states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh. The exact structure and seniority of posts may vary depending on the size, population, and administrative importance of the city.

General Rank Structure in Commissionerates

Although designations are broadly similar across India, the actual rank level assigned to each post differs from state to state.

Commissioner of Police (CP)

Head of the city police
Usually an IPS officer
May hold rank equivalent to Inspector General (IG), Additional Director General (ADG), or in some very large metropolitan cities even higher, depending on state policy

Special Commissioner / Joint Commissioner of Police

Present mainly in very large metropolitan areas
Typically senior IPS officers
Supervise major wings such as Law & Order, Crime, Traffic, or Administration

Additional Commissioner of Police

Often equivalent to DIG level
Assists in zone-level supervision and specialized units

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP)

Equivalent to SP / SSP rank
Responsible for city zones, districts, or major operational divisions

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)

Equivalent to DSP / ASP
Supervises a group of police stations
Replaces the traditional Circle Officer (CO) role within commissionerate areas

Police Station Level (Same as State Police)

Below ACP level, the structure generally remains unchanged:

Inspector (Station House Officer)
Sub-Inspector (SI)
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI)
Head Constable
Constable

Important Note:
Unlike a fixed national template, the commissionerate system in India is flexible. Different states may appoint Commissioners at different senior ranks (IG, ADG, etc.), and the internal hierarchy can be adjusted according to administrative and policing needs.

Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) Rank Structure

CAPFs handle:

Border guarding
Counter-insurgency
Internal security
Industrial protection

Examples: BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB. (Central Armed Police Forces)

Officer Ranks in CAPFs

Assistant Commandant (AC)
Deputy Commandant
Second-in-Command (2IC)
Commandant (CO)
Deputy Inspector General (DIG)
Inspector General (IG)
Additional Director General (ADG)
Director General (DG)

DG is the highest rank in CAPFs, similar to DGP in state police. (Central Armed Police Forces)

Relationship Between State Police and Central Forces

State Police Responsibilities

Crime control
FIR and investigation
Local intelligence
Traffic and law & order

Central Forces Responsibilities

Border security (BSF, ITBP)
Riot control (CRPF)
Industrial security (CISF)
Anti-insurgency operations

Central forces can be deployed in states during emergencies.

Promotion Path in Police Career

Typical career progression:

Constable → Head Constable → ASI → SI → Inspector → DSP/ASP → SP → DIG → IG → ADGP → DGP

Higher ranks are mostly filled by IPS officers through promotion and seniority. (Shiksha)

Who Controls the Police?

State Police reports to State Home Department. (Wikipedia)
Central forces report to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
IPS cadre management is done by the Central Government.

Key Differences: State Police vs Central Police Forces

Feature	State Police	Central Police Forces (CAPFs & Central Police Organizations)
Administrative Control	State Government (State Home Department)	Central Government (Ministry of Home Affairs)
Primary Role	Law & order, crime prevention, investigation, traffic control	Border security, internal security, counter-insurgency, protection of critical installations
Head of Organization	Director General of Police (DGP) of the State	Director General (DG) of the respective force (e.g., CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB)
Area of Operation	Within the respective State or Union Territory	Across India and at international borders, deployed as required
Jurisdiction	Local and state-level policing	National-level security support and specialized duties
Recruitment Method	State Police Recruitment Boards + IPS officers through UPSC	UPSC (CAPF Assistant Commandant), SSC/GD, departmental recruitment, IPS deputation
Daily Responsibilities	FIR registration, investigation, patrolling, local intelligence	Border guarding, riot control support, anti-terror operations, infrastructure security
Accountability	Reports to State Government and State Administration	Reports to Ministry of Home Affairs (Central Government)
Use During Emergencies	First responder within district/state	Deployed to assist states during riots, elections, disasters, insurgency
Examples	UP Police, Maharashtra Police, Tamil Nadu Police	CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, Assam Rifles

Conclusion

India’s policing system is a multi-layered hierarchical structure combining state police, IPS leadership, and central armed forces.

State Police maintains daily law and order.
IPS officers provide leadership across state and central organizations.
Central Armed Police Forces handle national-level security challenges.

From Constable to DGP and DG, each rank has defined administrative, operational, and strategic responsibilities, ensuring coordination between local policing and national security.