Presently, there are seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) which come under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Four CAPFs along with the Indian Army are entrusted to guard the 15,106.7 Km long international land border which India shares with seven different countries. The reasons for the conceptualization of different Central Armed Police Forces for guarding the international borders are:

• Non-uniform borders: The International borders are not uniform in character and have different physical features, terrain, and climatic conditions. Different specialized forces are needed to cater to the needs of different terrain. For example, the Indo-China border is guarded by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which is a specialized mountain force.
• Different threat perceptions: The nature of threats varies across the international border. For example, the western front of India which faces the challenge of infiltration and terrorism is guarded by BSF, ITBP guards the North-Eastern borders against external aggression etc.
• Diverse cultural regions: These forces needed an in-depth understanding and familiarity of the culture and ethos of the border populations as they are entrusted with promoting a sense of security and integration among these populations.

Guarding the international borders, preventing trans-border crimes such as smuggling, conducting counter-insurgency operations, gathering intelligence, preventing unauthorized entry or exit from the territory of India, aid to the civil administration, and support during disaster management are some of the similar roles performed by these four CAPFs on the international border. The specific contributions of each force for ensuring the security of India are as follows:

• Assam Rifles (AR): Which guards the Indo-Myanmar border was formed in 1835. After independence, it performed a conventional combat role during the Sino-India War 1962 and as part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in 1987, it participated in Operation Pawan. This force has played a stellar role in integrating the tribal population with mainstream India. It is the highest awarded and decorated Para Military Force of the Republic of India.
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): This force provided security along the entire stretch of the India-China border. Its contributions are diverse and many such as providing security cover to sensitive installations, VPs, and during the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. It is also mandated to perform wartime roles with the Indian Army.
• Border Security Forces (BSF): Deployed on the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders, the force was raised in 1965 after the India-Pakistan war. Contributions of BSF include assistance to the Army during the India-Pak war in 1971 and the Kargil conflict in 1999. It was also instrumental in controlling militancy in Punjab and fighting militancy in Kashmir.
• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB): This force is deployed on the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders. SSB is instrumental in generating a sense of national belonging, security, and vigilance. It trains villagers in the art of self-defense to develop a spirit of resistance. Its contributions include achieving ‘Total security preparedness’ in the remote border areas.

Though the CAPFs perform multiple crucial roles, these forces are sometimes forced to work in poor working conditions with several operational bottlenecks. The Joshi Committee, 2018 highlighted modernization of CAPFs, training, and capacity building reforming the promotion and cadre management policies, etc. as the urgent and impending reform to improve the functioning of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).