Overview

• The Ministry of Home Affairs has granted in-principle approval to raise 20 new CRPF battalions, boosting force strength by more than 20,000 personnel.
• The finance ministry has cleared funding for the 20-battalion plan while the original proposal for 35 units remains under consideration.
• Each new battalion will receive specialised training and equipment tailored to Jammu and Kashmir’s terrain and evolving counterterror needs.
• Union Cabinet sign-off is expected imminently, paving the way for additional CRPF companies to deploy in the region within hours.
• The expansion reflects a strategic shift away from counter-Naxal operations toward bolstering counterterror capabilities after April’s Pahalgam attack