Paramilitary forces of India According to the official definition adopted in 2011 , " Paramilitary Forces " refers to three organisations which assist the Indian Armed Forces particularly closely and are led by officers of the Indian Army or Indian Navy . They are : The term " " paramilitary forces " " was previously used to refer to a variety of armed services that aid the operations of the law enforcement agencies of India and the Indian Armed Forces . No single official definition existed , so the term normally included central armed police and often included state armed police . In March 2011 , at the request of the Indian Army , the Indian government authorized the Indian Army to provide definitive terminology . An extremely narrow definition of " paramilitary " was adopted which excluded services now known as the " Central Armed Police Forces " ( CAPF ) ( e . g . the Central Reserve Police Force ) and services now known as the " State Armed Police Forces " . The Indian government ' s new terminology does not necessarily coincide with the existing terminology of the states of India ; for example , the state of Bihar calls its state armed police force " Military Police " . It is not yet clear how ( or whether ) such discrepancies will be resolved . The Rashtriya Rifles are not a paramilitary force but part of the Indian Army . Former usage . Paramilitary Forces was a term previously used without strict definitions and could include not only the current three forces , any of the Central Armed Police Forces and State Armed Police Forces and other organisations such as the Home Guard . In the absence of central government terminology , many forces adopted their own terminology . In addition to the use of the word " paramilitary " , other terms included Central Police Organisations ( CPO ) , Central Paramilitary Forces ( CPMF or CPF ) , Paramilitary Forces ( PMF ) , and Central Police Forces ( CPF ) . ( CISF ) Central Industrial Security Force The Indian Army claimed the use of such terms was motivated by self - aggrandisement and using vague terms to avoid accountability . A very limited definition of " paramilitary " was therefore introduced on the army ' s initiative . Assam Rifles . The Assam Rifles can trace their lineage back to a paramilitary police force that was formed under the British in 1835 called " Cachar Levy " . Since then the Assam Rifles have undergone a number of name changes before the name " Assam Rifles " was finally adopted in 1917 . Over the course of its history , the Assam Rifles and its predecessor units have served in a number of roles , conflicts and theatres including World War I where they served in Europe and the Middle East , and World War II where they served mainly in Burma . In the post World War II period the Assam Rifles has expanded greatly as has its role . There are currently 46 battalions of Assam Rifles under the control of the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs ( MHA ) and they perform many roles including the provision of internal security under the control of the army through the conduct of counter insurgency and border security operations , provision of aid to the civil power in times of emergency , and the provision of communications , medical assistance and education in remote areas . In times of war they can also be used as a combat force to secure rear areas if needed . Special Frontier Force . The Special Frontier Force ( SFF ) is a paramilitary unit of India . It was conceived in the post Sino - Indian war period as a guerrilla force composed mainly of Tibetan refugees whose main goal was to conduct covert operations behind Chinese lines in case of another war between the People ' s Republic of China and India . Based in Chakrata , Uttarakhand , SFF is also known as the " Establishment 22 " . The force was put under the direct supervision of the Intelligence Bureau , and later , the Research and Analysis Wing , India ' s external intelligence agency . Indian Coast Guard . The Indian Coast Guard ( Hindi : भारतीय तटरक्षक ) ( ICG ) is a branch of the Indian Armed Forces . Its mission is the protection of India ' s maritime interests and maritime law enforcement with jurisdiction over both territorial and international waters . ICG was formally established on 18 August 1978 as an armed force of the Union by the " Coast Guard Act , 1978 " . It operates under the " Department of Defence " of the Union Ministry of Defence . The Coast Guard works in close cooperation with the Indian Navy , Department of Fisheries , Department of Revenue ( Customs ) and the Central and State police forces . The ICG is usually and currently headed by a naval officer of the rank of Vice - Admiral on deputation , although one of the Director Generals ( the 16th ) , Prabhakaran Paleri , was a Naval officer on permanent secondment to the Coast Guard . Subsequent Director Generals have again all been from the Indian Navy .