Operation Upalabdh: RPF
Railway Protection Force (RPF) conducted a Pan India Drive against the alleged black marketeers under Operation Upalabdh.
- Earlier in February 2022, the RPF had launched a nationwide operation to curb human trafficking named Operation AAHT.
- The month-long drive under Operation Upalabdh has been able to curb the activities of touts substantially and make railway tickets available to the common man.
- The contingent of RPF is an Armed Force of the Union of India. It is a security force under the ownership of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways.
- The history of the RPF dates back to 1882 when various railway companies appointed their own guards for protection of railway property.
- The force was declared as statutory force in the year 1957 by an enactment of Parliament subsequently declared as an Armed Force of the Union of India in the year 1985.
- The RPF Rules were enacted in 1959 and RPF Regulations published in 1966.
- In the same year, some limited powers to apprehend and prosecute offenders involved in railway property were conferred on the Force by enacting the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966.
- Primarily RPF has been entrusted with responsibility of the safety of Railway property.
- But, while the provisions of RPF Act were soon found wanting for the maintenance of an effective and disciplined Force, the RPF Rules and Regulations too were found judicially unsound.
