Task Force Report on Suicides, fratricides in Central Armed Police Forces

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)?
• What are the roles of CAPFs?
• News Summary: Task Force Report on Suicides, fratricides in Central Armed Police Forces
• Suicides and fratricides in CAPFs: Statistics

Why in news?

• A task force, formed to look into suicide and fratricide cases in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), has submitted its draft report to the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• The task force was constituted in 2021 by the Home Ministry to study and analyse incidents of suicides and fratricides and prepare a comprehensive report.
  • The task force was headed by V S K Kaumudi, the Special Secretary (internal security) in the Home ministry.

What is Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)?

• Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) is the collective name of Armed Police Organisations in India.  These armed police organisations are:
  • Assam Rifles (AR) – Administrative control – MHA, Operation control – MoD
  • Border Security Force (BSF)
  • Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
  • Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
  • Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
  • National Security Guard (NSG)
  • Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
• Technically known as Para-Military Forces, it works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

What are the roles of CAPFs?

• Border Guarding Forces
  • Out of the forces mentioned above, AR, BSF, ITBP and SSB are primarily the ‘Border Guarding Forces’.
• Assisting Civil Administration
  • CRPF is deployed to assist the Civil Administration under the State Governments / UT Administrations in matters relating to maintenance of Public Order, internal security and counter insurgency.
  • CRPF has two specialized wings:
    • The Rapid Action Force (RAF) to deal with the riots
    • Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) to deal with the riots and Left Wing Extremism / insurgency
• Protection to vital installations
  • CISF provides security and protection to vital installations of national / strategic importance including PSUs, airports, atomic power plants, space organizations, industrial units, important national museums, Government buildings in Delhi and other important sensitive organizations.
• Counter terrorism and anti-hijacking operations
  • In addition, NSG is a specialized strike Force trained in the Counter terrorism and anti-hijacking operations. 
  • It is also entrusted with the task of securing the high-risk VIPs and acts as sky marshal for securing the domestic and international flights.

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News Summary: Task Force Report on Suicides, fratricides in Central Armed Police Forces

• Three major factors that led to incidents of suicides and fratricides
  • The task force found three major factors — service conditions, working conditions, and personal/individual issues — that led to incidents of suicides and fratricides.
  • Under the service conditions, the task force found leaves the main trigger in CRPF, ITBP, BSF, SSB, Assam Rifles.
  • On personal issues, the task force records: 
    • stigma of certain diseases, mental/psychiatric disorders, 
    • feeling of hopelessness/depression, 
    • groupism/casteism/instigation by others on petty issues, 
    • drug/alcohol abuse, etc.
• Other reasons include:
  • Discrimination among sub-groups, trauma of being abused, 
  • Bullying at workplace, 
  • Fear of initiation of disciplinary or legal action, 
  • Lack of communication between company commander and jawans
  • Frequent transfers.
• Major reasons for suicide
  • Among reasons for suicides, the task force recorded: 
    • extended working hours, 
    • inadequate time to rest and recreation, 
    • lack of job satisfaction as compared with their counterparts of other sectors, 
    • sense of isolation and lack of social as well as familial support, and 
    • lack of robust grievance redressal mechanism.
• The task force also flagged slow promotions, continuous posting in conflict theatres, dissatisfaction from the New Pension Scheme, little opportunity for growth and development, absence of trained professionals to deal with the trauma of personnel in the CAPFs.

Suicides and fratricides in CAPFs: Statistics

• Data, shows that in total, 642 personnel, including 10 women personnel, had committed suicide and 51 fratricide incidents took place in the CAPFs between 2017 and 2021.
• The maximum suicide incidents for the said period were reported in the CRPF (227), while 175 suicides, including 4 women personnel, were from the BSF.

Q1) What is the role of Assam Rifles?

Assam Rifles is one of the six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) that come under the MHA’s administrative control. Besides maintaining law and order in the Northeast (a task it performs together with the Army), the Assam Rifles also guards the border with Myanmar in the region.  

Q2) What is Border Security Force (BSF)?

It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) of India and was raised in December 1965. It was raised in the wake of the 1965 War to ensure the security of the borders of India. It is the only CAPF which has its own Water Wing, Air Wing and other ancillary units. It works under the administrative control of Ministry of Home Affairs.

Source: Suicides, fratricides in CAPFs: Task force report points to discrimination, abuse trauma, bullying  |  Ministry of Home Affairs  |  CAPF eAwas  |  Indian Express