The Paramilitary Forces of India (PMF) are those agencies that help the Law Enforcement Agencies and the Indian Armed Forces in their operations. It has over a million personnel active in its service. PMF is regarded as the worlds second largest paramilitary organization (second only to the Chinese Peoples Armed Forces) and its head officers and other senior officers being members of Indian Police Service (IPS).
The first tier of the PMF is formed by the Central Police Organizations (CPO) and the second tier is formed by the Central Paramilitary Forces (CPF). The main difference between the two is that CPO works independently or in coordination with Indian Federal Agencies, State Police Forces and other Law Enforcement Agencies whereas the CPF works in cooperation with the Indian Armed Forces. All the branches of PMF excluding the Indian Coast Guard are under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The largest force of the PMF is the Central Reserve Police Force which assists the Indian Police in maintaining law and order.