Assistant Commandant (AC), equivalent to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) / Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP)/Captain in Indian Army is a Group-A Gazetted Officer rank in the Central Armed Police Forces of India.
ACs in Central Armed Police Forces are appointed directly through UPSC selection process and are called Directly Appointed Gazetted Officers (DAGO). These officers can reach up to the rank of ADG in their own organisations without having conferred to the Indian Police Service.
Apart from performing various decision making and supervisory functions, similar to any other Group ‘A’ service, the executive officers of the CAPF perform several other managerial functions peculiar to the service, besides leading the troops in the field. Their role and performance, therefore, assumes a great significance due to the special features of an emergency Force which is pressed in aid to civil power to perform multiple roles in extremely difficult situations.
Recruitment
The intake of officers at the level of Assistant Commandant is 50% through direct recruitment from open competition, 33% by promoting Inspectors and remaining 17% through Limited Departmental Competitive Examination (LDCE), wherein Inspectors and Sub Inspectors fulfilling the criteria are eligible. The direct entry of officers is regulated through an All India Competitive Examination called as CAPF (AC) and conducted by the UPSC. The direct officer grade entry is at the rank of Assistant Commandant (AC), which is a Group A service rank, same as that of direct recruits to Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IT) and Indian Revenue Service (C&E). In the year 2016, Burhan Hussain, a Kashmir resident, obtained All India Rank 1 in the CAPF (AC) 2015 examination and became the topper.
Nationality: No person who is not a citizen of India shall, except with the consent of the Central Govt. can give the written or be appointed.