There was always a certain restraint afforded on the Indian ‘Uniform’ of various hues. While survey after survey pronounced the Indian Armed Forces as the most respected institution/professional in the country, it was admittedly ‘greyer’ for the police forces.
Unsurprisingly, those in middle of the ‘Uniform’ spectrum i.e., Central Armed Forces Policing Forces (CAPFs), would rather go by the more incorrect term ‘Paramilitary’.
However, unlike the armed forces or even specialist forces like CAPFs, the State/UT policing forces exclusively operate in the midst of civilian society and passions – they are naturally given to societal morass, suppositions and even afflictions, that affects perceptions about them.
The most fundamental difference between the forces is on the extent of political control and leverage on their operations – the armed forces are the most distant and the state police forces the most closely enmeshed to the political throb; hence, the perceived apolitical conduct of the Indian Armed Forces and the decidedly more political taint on the police forces.