India marked the 34th Raising Day of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) on 7 October 2026, with senior leaders extending greetings to personnel of the specialised Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) wing raised for swift response to riots, public disorder, and internal security contingencies.
The force, which functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs, observes 7 October as its Raising Day to commemorate the date on which it became fully operational in 1992. It was constituted by converting unattached CRPF battalions into a dedicated rapid-reaction formation, following a decision of the Union Home Ministry in December 1991. The first battalions were operationalised by October 1992, with further units added in 1994. Five additional battalions were approved in 2017.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath greeted RAF personnel and their families, citing their courage, discipline, and devotion to duty in adverse circumstances, and their role in upholding national integrity and social harmony. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta described the force as a shield for peace and internal security, and saluted the service of its members.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said the commitment of RAF personnel, engaged in national service with a sense of duty, courage, and discipline, was a matter of pride for the country. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo also conveyed greetings, noting the force’s restraint and professionalism in maintaining law and order.
The CRPF describes the RAF as a zero-response force, organised to reach a crisis within minimal time and to restore public confidence. Its mandate covers communal riots, mob violence, crowd management, law-and-order duty during elections and major gatherings, and rescue and relief during natural disasters. The force also trains male and female contingents for United Nations peacekeeping missions.
The RAF is headed by an Inspector General at New Delhi and comprises 15 specialised battalions, numbered 83, 91, 97, 99 to 108, 114, and 194 in the CRPF. These units are deployed across states including Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar. Each battalion is commanded by an officer of the rank of Commandant.
The smallest functional unit is a team led by an Inspector, with riot-control, tear-smoke, and fire elements. One team in each company comprises women personnel, to deal with situations involving women demonstrators.
The force wears a distinctive blue camouflage uniform, intended to signify peace, and has a separate flag with the same symbolism. Its motto is “Serving Humanity with Sensitive Policing.” On 7 October 2003, in the eleventh year of its service, the President’s Colour was presented to the RAF by the then Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani. The RAF Academy of Public Order was established at Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, on 9 November 2013, to train personnel in public-order management.
Over three decades, the RAF has been deployed for riot control and cordon duties during major incidents, including the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, and for humanitarian relief after cyclones, floods, and earthquakes. On its 34th Raising Day, the greetings underlined the force’s continuing place in India’s internal security framework: a specialised CRPF wing tasked to intervene quickly, and with restraint, when public order is under strain.
