The concept of AR refers to the Assam Rifles, which is the oldest paramilitary force in India and a key institution for internal security in the Northeast. It is one of the six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
The force's origin dates back to 1835, when it was first raised by the British as the Cachar Levy, a militia intended to protect tea gardens and settlements in Assam from tribal raids. It was officially renamed the Assam Rifles in 1917 in recognition of its service during World War I.
The Assam Rifles operates under a unique "dual control" mechanism. Administrative control rests with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), while operational control is exercised by the Indian Army (under the Ministry of Defence). The force is governed by the Assam Rifles Act, 2006, which replaced the earlier Assam Rifles Act of 1941. Its primary roles are conducting counter-insurgency operations in Northeast India and guarding the 1,643-kilometre Indo-Myanmar border.
The force is closely connected to the Indian Army through its operational command and its historical military ethos. A major ongoing issue is the demand for pay and pension parity with the Army, which was diluted after the Fourth Central Pay Commission (4CPC). Recently, the Delhi High Court directed the Central Government to decide on the demand for "Army-equivalent" pay and pension parity. Furthermore, the government has created a new category of 'Ex-Agniveer' in the recruitment for CAPFs and the Assam Rifles, reserving 50% of vacancies for them. There are also recent reports of the Central Government intending to replace some Assam Rifles battalions with the CRPF in Manipur.