In India, the police forces of the states and union territories are responsible for law enforcement in the states and union territories. Police and Public Order are State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India.

The following sections list the State Police forces and Union Territory Police forces in India, along with their specialised units, presented in tabular form.

History The Police Act of 1861 established the principles of organization for police forces in India and, with minor modifications, continues in effect. Although state police forces are separate and may differ in quality of equipment and resources, their patterns of organization and operation are similar.

Organisation

State Police

The state police function under the administrative control of the state home department, which is headed by the additional chief secretary or the principal secretary to the government, generally an officer of the Indian Administrative Service.

Each state maintains its own police force, headed by a Director General of Police (DGP), an officer of the Indian Police Service. The state police is responsible for the maintenance of law and order in both urban and rural areas. The director general of police who functions as the Head of Police Force (HoPF) is responsible for overall police administration in the state.

The DGP is supported by one or more Additional Directors General of Police (ADGs). Other officers of director general (DG) rank may be posted as heads of specialised organisations not directly under the control of the DGP, such as the police recruitment board, the fire and rescue services, training academies, anti corruption bureau, prisons department, etc. Additional Directors General of Police (ADGs) head specialised bureaus and functional areas such as law and order, intelligence, administration, the crime branch, training, armed police and other related divisions. These special units has its own administrative/operational divisions; and officers.

The General Executive Branch—also known as the Civil Police or Law and Order Wing—is divided into police zones, police ranges, and police districts for effective police administration. The structure of police zones and ranges varies from one state police force to another. Typically, a police zone consists of two or more police ranges and is headed by an Inspector General of Police (IG). A police range comprises several police districts and is headed by a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG). Prominent zones are generally headed by an ADG, while others are supervised by an Inspector General of Police (IG). Each range consists of several police districts and is headed either by an IG (in important ranges) or a Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG).

A police district, headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP), is the primary operational and functional unit of the state police. The District Superintendent of Police is responsible for police administration in the district, including the maintenance of law and order, crime prevention, and crime investigation. In major districts, the post is designated as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), who may be assisted by two or more additional SPs. Where an SP heads the district, they are typically assisted by one or two Additional Superintendent of Polices (Addl.SPs). Each district is further divided into sub-divisions or circles, each under the charge of a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP). Sub-divisions comprise several police stations, which are headed by an Inspector of Police and supported by Sub-Inspectors (SIs) and Assistant Sub-Inspectors (ASIs).

In rural police districts, police circles exist between the subdivision and the police station. A police circle typically comprises two or three police stations and is headed by an inspector designated as the Circle Inspector. This system exists only in rural areas, where the officer in charge of a police station is usually a Sub-Inspector (SI). Officers of the rank of SI and above are authorised to file charge sheets in court.

The police constabulary, consisting of head constables and constables, forms the field-level staff of a police station. They perform routine policing functions such as beat patrolling, traffic management, crime prevention, and assisting in criminal investigations.

District SPs exercise significant discretionary authority in overseeing subordinate police stations, investigation units, equipment depots, armouries, and the traffic police. However, they do not possess the powers of an executive magistrate. Such powers are vested in the district magistrate (DM), an officer of the Indian Administrative Service, who is empowered to promulgate orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and to issue arms licences.

Union Territory Police

The police forces of the Union territories function under the administrative control of the respective Union territory governments or, in some cases, directly under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, depending on the territory. Each Union territory police force is headed by a senior Indian Police Service officer, designated as the Director General of Police or Inspector General of Police (IGP), according to the size and administrative requirements of the territory. Senior leadership of Union territory police forces, as well as some state police, is provided by officers of the AGMUT cadre of the Indian Police Service (IPS).

In larger Union territories, the force is organised into zones, each headed by an IGP, while the entire territory is overseen by a DGP. In smaller Union territories, the force is typically divided only into districts, each headed by a Superintendent of Police (SP), with the entire territory under the command of an IGP. For example, in the smallest Union territory, Lakshadweep, the police force is headed by a Superintendent of Police, while the Administrator of Lakshadweep serves as the ex officio IGP.

The organisational structure differs under the commissionerate system, as in the case of Delhi Police, where the police commissioner exercises both administrative and magisterial powers.

The hierarchy and operational setup in Union territories broadly mirror those of state police forces, with ranges, districts, sub-divisions, circles, and police stations forming the functional hierarchy.

Recruitment The central government civil servants of Group 'A' under Indian Police Service cadre are recruited through civil services examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission. They command and provide leadership to the State and UT Police Forces.

The state government civil servants of Group 'B' under State Police Services cadre are recruited by combined competitive examination conducted by State Public Service Commission.

The state government civil servants of Group 'C' and Group 'D' of State Police cadre are recruited by subordinate services examination conducted by State Public Service Commission.

The central government civil servants of Group 'B' under Union Territory Police Service cadre are recruited by civil services examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission.

The central government civil servants of Group 'C' and Group 'D' of Union Territory Police cadre are recruited by combined graduate level examination and common entrance test conducted by Staff Selection Commission and National Recruitment Agency.

Uniforms

Uniforms of state and local police vary by grade, region, and type of duty. The main service uniform for state police is khaki. Some city forces, such as the Kolkata Police, wear white uniforms. Headgear differs by rank and state; officers usually wear a peaked cap, and constables wear berets or sidecaps.

Services such as the Central Bureau of Investigation do not wear a uniform instead business dress (shirt, tie, blazer, etc.) is worn with a badge.

Special-service armed police have tactical uniforms in accordance with their function, and traffic police generally wear a white uniform.

List of State Police Forces of India

SrNoStatePolice Force1Andhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh Police2Arunachal PradeshArunachal Pradesh Police3AssamAssam Police4BiharBihar Police5ChhattisgarhChhattisgarh Police6GoaGoa Police7GujaratGujarat Police8HaryanaHaryana Police9Himachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh Police10JharkhandJharkhand Police11KarnatakaKarnataka Police12Kerala Kerala Police13Madhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh Police14MaharashtraMaharashtra Police15ManipurManipur Police16MeghalayaMeghalaya Police17MizoramMizoram Police18NagalandNagaland Police19OdishaOdisha Police20PunjabPunjab Police21RajasthanRajasthan Police22SikkimSikkim Police23Tamil NaduTamil Nadu Police24TelanganaTelangana Police25TripuraTripura Police26Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh Police27UttarakhandUttarakhand Police28West BengalWest Bengal Police

List of Union Territory Police Forces of India

SrNoUnion TerritoryPolice Force1Andaman and Nicobar IslandsAndaman Nicobar Islands Police 2ChandigarhChandigarh Police3Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and DiuDadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Police4DelhiDelhi Police5Jammu and KashmirJammu and Kashmir Police6LadakhLadakh Police7LakshadweepLakshadweep Police8PuducherryPuducherry Police

Police Commissionerates

Some major metropolitan cities use the police commissionerate system (like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack etc.), headed by a Police Commissioner. Demand for this system is increasing as it gives police a free hand to act freely and take control of any situation. According to BPRD India, 65 large cities and suburban areas currently have this system. Even in British Raj, the presidency towns of Calcutta, Bombay and Madras had commissionerate system. Reporting to the Police Commissioner(CP) are the Joint Police Commissioner(Joint CPs), Deputy Commissioner of Police(DCPs) and Assistant Commissioner of Police(ACPs). Commissioners of police and their deputies are empowered as executive magistrates to enforce Section 144 of the CrPC and issue arms licenses.

List of Police Commissionerates in India

State and UT Armed Police Forces

In most states and territories, police forces are divided into civil (unarmed) police and armed contingents. Civil police staff police stations, conduct investigations, answer routine complaints, perform traffic duties, and patrol the streets. They usually carry lathis, a bamboo staff, weighted (or tipped) with iron.

Armed police are divided into two groups: district armed police and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (Pradeshik). District armed police are organized like an army infantry battalion. Assigned to police stations, they perform guard and escort duties. Each state police force maintains an armed force, with names such as Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and Special Armed Police, which is responsible for emergencies and crowd control. They are generally activated on orders from a Deputy Inspector General or higher-level authorities. States which maintain armed contingents use them as an emergency reserve strike force. The units are organized as a mobile armed force under state control or, in the case of district armed police (who are not as well equipped), as a force directed by district superintendents and generally used for riot control.

The Provincial Armed Constabulary is an armed reserve maintained at key locations in some states and activated on orders from the deputy inspector general and higher-level authorities. Armed constabulary are not usually in contact with the public unless they are assigned to VIP duty or maintaining order during fairs, festivals, athletic events, elections, and natural disasters. They may be sent to quell outbreaks of student or labour unrest, organized crime, and communal riots; to maintain key guard posts, and to participate in anti-terrorism operations. Depending on the assignment, the Provincial Armed Constabulary may only carry lathis.