Attrition, suicide rates in paramilitary forces see upward trend, reveals Parliamentary report

Vijay Mohan

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Chandigarh, March 14

After witnessing a declining trend over four years since 2017, the attrition rate of personnel in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) witnessed a sharp increase in 2021. The suicide rate in CAPFs has also witnessed a similar trend.

In 2017, the attrition was 20,575. This fell to 16,100 in 2018, 14,872 in 2019 and 9,729 in 2020, before spiking to 14,311 in 2021, according to the Report on the Demands for Grants of the Ministry of Home Affairs (2022-23) tabled in Parliament today. This includes superannuation, dismissal, removal, voluntary retirement, resignation, death and invalidation.

As far as suicides are concerned, the number was 123 in 2017, which fell to 96 in 2018. Thereafter, it rose to 129 in 2019 and 137 in 2020 before touching 153 in 2021, the report revealed.

The CAPFs, which function under the Home Ministry and were earlier referred to as paramilitary forces, include Assam Rifles, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Central Reserve Police Forces, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, National Security Guards and Shashtra Seema Bal. Their combined strength is over 10 lakh personnel.

While the primary role of the BSF, ITBP and SSB is the peace time management of the borders CISF and CRPF are mandated with internal security duties, maintenance of and order and guarding sensitive installations. Assam Rifles has the dual task of internal security duties in the north-east and guarding the border with Myanmar, while NSG is a specialist counter-terrorism force with its manpower draw on deputation from the armed forces and other CAPFs..

Continuous and prolonged deployment of troops in hard and inhospitable areas, less amount of time for rest and recuperation and stagnation in career progression especially in the constabulary are among reasons cited ny the home ministry for  the high attrition rate, particularly in the BSF and CRPF.

Increased responsibility towards family after a certain period in service, education of children especially, look after agriculture, business or property and better placement opportunity in the private sector near their home after opting for voluntary retirement, are other reasons for this.

Stress of the job and monotony, family and marital issues, property and land related disputes, health issues of self and family members, and domestic or financial stresses have been attributed to the increase in suicide cases.

Several measures have been initiated over the past few years to improve the service and living conditions amongst CAPF personnel, especially in remote and hard areas as well as to mitigate the stress levels.