Assam Rifles

About Assam Rifles:

• It is one of the six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) that come under the MHA’s administrative control.
• Function: It conducts counterinsurgency operations in north-eastern India and other areas where deemed necessary.
• Headquarter: The headquarters of the Director-General of Assam Rifles (DGAR) is in Shillong.
• Assam Rifles History:
  • Assam Rifles has its origins in 1835 as a militia called the ‘Cachar Levy’ to protect British tea estates and their settlements against tribal raids. 
  • It later became the ‘Frontier Force’ conducting punitive expeditions across the borders of Assam. 
  • In 1870, the existing elements were merged into three Assam Military Police Battalions, sending men as part of the British Army to Europe and West Asia. 
  • In 1917, the name was changed to Assam Rifles.
• Major Roles:
  • The force has evolved post-Independence, from combat roles during the Sino-India War 1962 to being a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka in 1987, besides performing peacekeeping roles in north-eastern India.