Railway Protection Force

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?

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