Rapid Action Force
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Emblem ![]() Triservices Crest. |
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| Military Man Power | |
|---|---|
| Total armed forces | 2,414,700 (Ranked 3rd) |
| Active troops | 1,414,000 (Ranked 3rd) |
| Total troops | 3,773,300 (Ranked 6th) |
| Paramilitary forces | 1,089,700 |
| Components | |
| Indian Army | |
| Indian Air Force | |
| Indian Navy | |
| Indian Coast Guard | |
| Indian Paramilitary Forces | |
| Strategic Nuclear Command | |
| History | |
| Military history of India | |
| Ranks | |
| Air Force ranks and insignia of India | |
| Army ranks and insignia of India | |
| Naval ranks and insignia of India | |
The Rapid Action Force (RAF) is a specialised wing of the Indian CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force). It was formed in October 1992, to deal with riots & related unrest, with 10 of its battalions. The battalions are numbered 100 to 110.
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This elite force has made its impact against the rioters and restored the confidence of the people. It has been very effective in dealing with communal violence.
RAF has also succeeded in projecting the human face of the Government and built bridges with the public by carrying out prompt rescue and relief operations during floods, earthquakes, cyclones and outbreak of epidemics in various parts of the country.
During the super-cyclone that hit Orissa in October 1999, six companies of RAF were deployed and carried out rescue and relief operations in five of the state's worst affected districts. Ten of the force's medical teams treated about 20,000 patients and provided much-needed medical and other assistance to the victims. CRPF personnel cremated about 300 decomposed bodies in Orissa's badly-affected Erasama block.
CRPF is the only Paramilitary Force in the country to have two women battalions. The first such battalion was raised in 1986 with its headquarters at New Delhi. The second battalion came into existence in 1996 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
