436 CAPF personnel die by suicide in three years, government sets up task force

Minister Nityanand Rai informed the House that currently there are 84,866 vacancies in the CAPFs

The vacancies in the CAPFs arise on account of retirements, resignation, promotion, death, new raising of battalion, creation of new posts etc., Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said replying to a written question. | Photo Credit: PTI

The Union Home Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that it has set up a task force to suggest remedial measures for prevention of suicides and fratricides in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

As many as 436 CAPF personnel died by suicide in the past three years.

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha that a task force has been set up to identify relevant risk factors as well as relevant risk groups and suggest remedial measures for prevention of suicides and fratricides in CAPFs — CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, NSG and Assam Rifles — and the report of the task force is under preparation.

A total of 135 personnel committed suicide in 2022, 157 in 2021 and 144 in 2020, he said.

In a separate reply, the Minister informed the House that currently there are 84,866 vacancies in the CAPFs.

“Vacancies in CAPFs arise on account of retirements, resignation, promotion, death, raising of Battalion, creation of new posts etc. Recruitment of 31,785 personnel in CAPFs has been done in the past five months,” the written reply said.

It added that there were 247 positions for doctors that were lying vacant and the number of unfilled posts for nurses and other medical professionals stood at 2,354.