Railway Protection Force

Table of Contents☰

About Railway Protection Force:

The history of the RPF dates back to 1882 when various Railway companies appointed their own guards for protection of Railway property.
It was declared as statutory force in the year 1957 by an enactment of Parliament and subsequently declared as an armed force of the Union of India in the year 1985.
In 2003, the RPF partially took up the duties of escorting passenger trains and access control at the railway stations”.
It is led by a director-general.
It is an armed force under the operational and administrative control of the Union Ministry of Railways.
It is tasked with protecting and securing railway property, the passenger areas, and the passengers themselves.

What is the Government Railway Police (GRP)?

The GRP is a part of the district police force, reporting to the state government.
It works alongside the RPF, and should, under ideal circumstances, complement and strengthen its operations.
They are responsible generally for the prevention and detection of crime on railways.

Q1) What is statutory body?

A statutory body, also known as a statutory authority or public authority, is an organization or agency established by law through an Act of Parliament or a legislative body. These bodies are created to perform specific functions or duties on behalf of the government or to regulate certain activities in a particular field. Statutory bodies have legal powers and functions defined by the legislation that brought them into existence.

Source: RPF man held for killing 4 on train: What is this force, and how is it different from the GRP?