Explaining the difficulties, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) said in the proposal to the Ministry said that the CAPF officers after superannuation in the rank of Second-In Command find it difficult to explain the rank and profile to the civil society.
"Even in various government organisations/departments, the rank of Second-In-Command is difficult to explain," the CRPF said in its proposal.
The CRPF said, "It goes without saying that a CAPF officer should take pride in his rank and file, but the rank of Second- In-Command (2I/C)A fails to add to the price of the officer, rather sometimes becoming a matter of embarrassment."
Similar sentiments have also been echoed in other paramilitary forces.
Rank is the most important part of the service of the security personnel and they take utmost pride and respect for the rank, the officials said.
The 2I/C rank is well-known in the paramilitary forces, but it is difficult to explain to the civilians, they added.
The direct appointment of security personnel in the ranks of Assistant Sub- Inspector (ASI) and Sub- Inspector rank normally retire at 2I-C rank.
Even direct officers recruited through the Union Public Service Commission have to serve at 2I /C for a good number of years before getting promoted as Commandant and so on.
Under the direct recruitment through UPSC, a candidate is recruited for the post of Assistant Commandant and after serving around eight to 10 years then he or she is promoted Deputy Commandant after that in the next promotion, he or she is promoted as Second-In- Command just one rank below the Commandant.
The Home Minister in 2019 had announced that all CAPFs jawan will be given at least 100 days leave in a year so that they can spend more time with their families.
According to the officials, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been examining all the details about the proposal before making the policy and the CAPFs have also been asked to submit its recommendations to the ministry at earliest.
The officials also said that MHA recently held several rounds of the meetings to frame the policy and discussed the ways to implement it. The last meeting was held in the second week of March to sort out the delays in implementation.
It is expected that the 100 days annual leave policy is likely to be implemented by the next month across all para- military forces, they added.
The new annual leave plan aims to reduce work-related stress of over 10 lakh troops across the CAPFs, who have to perform arduous duties in some of the most challenging and hostile environmental conditions in remote locations.
Recently, the Central Reserve Police Force DG Kuldeep Singh had said that on an average, a jawan in the CRPF gets around 60 to 65 days of leave in a year. "If the proposal to enhance the casual leave component from 15 days to 28-30 days can be brought in, then 100 days of leave for jawans can be done," Singh said.
The move to enhance leaves came following the increasing numbers of suicides and fratricides incidents in recent past.
As per the data shared by the government in the Parliament, a total of 25 fratricide incidents have taken place in the CAPFs during 2019-2021.
The highest number of these incidents took place in the CRPF with 11 cases followed by nine in the BSF.
Further as per the data till August 2021, a total of 680 CAPF or central paramilitary forces personnel died by suicide in the last six years. The officials in the force said that these figures have now crossed 700 mark.
"If this 100 days annual leave plan is fully implemented across the para-military forces, this can address the issues of suicidal tendencies among the jawans and also possibly address the concerns related to the high number of personnel opting for the Voluntary Retirement Schemes," a senior official said.
Recently, in back to back incidents of fratricide this month, the BSF lost seven of its personnel.
On March 6, five BSF jawans were killed in an incident of fratricide in Khasa in Punjab's Amritsar where a constable, identified as Satteppa S.K., fired at five of his colleagues in the camp, which is located 20 km from the Attari-Wagah border.
Next day on March 7, a BSF constable shot dead a colleague before shooting himself with his service rifle in West Bengal's Murshidabad.
According to official data, a total of 193 suicides have been reported in the force since 2018, with 52 incidents being registered in 2021 alone while 23 security personnel were killed in 15 incidents of fratricide since 2018.
Analysing the possible causes of the incidents of suicide and fratricide in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), former BSF DG Prakash Singh told IANS that the personnel seem to be under tremendous stress because of the pressure of their duties. Also the fact that they remain posted in hard areas for a long time and sometimes do not get adequate leave.
"Earlier, the BSF formation was of only six companies, subsequently the government of India decided to increase the strength to seven companies and said that the seventh company will always be on training. The BSF officers also agreed that the seventh company will always remain on training, now I found that the seventh company is also deployed.
"Once the entire strength of the battalion is deployed, no company will be going for training, rest and recuperation and it is duty, duty and duty round the year except when the security personnel go on leave and sometimes this leave is also not sanctioned adequately," Singh added.
Soon after the fratricidal incident in which four CRPF jawans were killed and three injured in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh in November 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which has administrative control over all the CAPFs, directed them to initiate welfare measures like a "get-together" like ‘Chaupal' or open informal meetings of the officers and the juniors across all ranks and file to know the reasons behind their stress and strain and to find solutions to their problems.
The Ministry order specifically asked the DGs of all CAPFs to ensure good behaviour and camaraderie between the senior and junior officers.
Noting that the CAPF personnel are over stressed, Singh stated that there was scope of improving the man-management in the forces. He said that the senior officers have more responsibility to create healthy relations and it depends on how they treat their juniors, how they attend to their issues including their personal and family issues.
"When we were in service, we were expected to take care of their issues and needs. We were looked upon as ‘Mai-Baap' (parents) and were expected to address the needs and issues of the personnel. In recent years, the gap between officers and junior constabulary has widened, a gulf has been created. The officers should fraternise with them, dine with them, play with them and create a healthy camaraderie among the force," Singh commented, adding that better relations with juniors will definitely improve the situation and will encourage them to speak out about their issues.
The Ministry also constituted a task force under the chairmanship of the CRPF and Assam Rifles DGs to find out the reasons for the suicides and fratricide in the CAPF and asked them to submit their report within three months.
The ‘Task Force' was mandated to identify the relevant risk factors and protective factors at the individual level such as past suicide attempts, impulsivity as a personality trait, mental issues, alcohol or other drug abuse, aggressive tendencies, acute emotional crises, acute severe physical illness, or chronic physical illnesses, acute stressful life events and job stress. It was also asked to suggest possible measures to check these incidents.
The postings in hard areas for longer periods often led to a rise in the dissatisfaction level among the personnel. Away from their families for long periods, family related issues and education of the children are the main reasons for their frustration especially in the lower ranks, an official of the force said.
He admitted that the government has been providing all possible facilities such as better schools and accommodation for families in the battalion headquarters even if the jawan is posted in the border areas or away from the family but the number is less.
"The government needs to create more infrastructure for the security personnel," an Inspector level officer said on condition of anonymity.
Regarding transfer postings in the CAPFs, the MHA asked all the forces to develop software based transfer postings in 2020. Some forces have adopted the software aided transfer posting wherein a security personnel is possibly given a relatively easy duty after a tenure of a hard posting. This has been enabled in some forces but other forces are still to implement it.
Longer duty hours because of shortage of manpower is another reason for stress among these security personnel. According to a report, over 80,000 CAPF personnel have taken voluntary retirement or have resigned from service in the last one decade and the process of fresh recruitments is very slow.
"Because of the inadequate number of security personnel, they have to be on duty beyond the sanctioned hours and sometimes they even do not get adequate leave to visit their homes."
A Home Ministry letter on Friday asked the Inspector General (Operations) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to ensure immediate movement of the forces in coordination with all other forces.
The CAPF refers to the uniform nomenclature of seven security forces in India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The Ministry said it was "urgently" deploying 45 companies of the CRPF, 35 companies of the Border Security Force (BSF), and 10 companies each of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
The move came the night after raids were carried out in south, central and north Kashmir areas in which dozens of Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, including its chief Abdul Hamid Fayaz, were detained.
Yasin Malik, chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was also taken into custody and lodged in a police station on Friday.
Informed sources in the Home Ministry said that the factors responsible for the deployment of the additional companies in the valley was taken keeping an eye on the upcoming elections, to assist the state police force in their ongoing operations and following review of security.
The administration decided to deploy more troops in sensitive places.
It was also decided to replace the CRPF troopers in Srinagar with the BSF and the ITBP troopers, an official order said on Friday.
The move comes after the worst-ever terror atatck last week on a CRPF convoy by a Jaish-e-Mohammad militant killing 40 troopers on the spot.
Polling parties armed with EVMs and other essential poll related materials have been rushed to the booths where elections are to be held on Tuesday. Central Armed Police Forces were also stationed in the sensitive constituencies going to polls on April 23.
A total of six Lok Sabha (LS) constituencies and 42 assembly constituencies under the LS were going to polls. The six LS constituencies are Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal.
Poll preparedness are in the final stages in Bhubaneswar LS constituency, which is going to polls on April 23. A strong room and a poll disseminating centre has been opened up in BJB college here to cater to the poll requirements for the five assembly segments under the LS.
Khurda District Collector Nirmal Mishra informed the media that as many as 1,107 booths were assigned to the Bhubaneswar constituency. And a total of 60 platoon CRPF were to be deployed in the sensitive areas to maintain law and order during the polls. A total of six CRPF companies were deployed in Bhubaneswar. Police on Sunday holds flag march to boost confidence among the voters in sensitive areas of the temple town like Lakshmisagar, Saheed Nagar, Kesura and Mancheswar, informed DCP Anup Sahoo.
The poll preparation are in full swing in Cuttack too. Polling officials today left for the assembly constituencies of Athagarh, Baramba, Banki and Cuttack Sadar. For assembly constituencies like Cuttack-Choudwar and Cuttack- Barabati, polling officials will reach to the booths on Monday, informed District Collector Arvind Agarwal and added that adequate forces have been stationed in sensitive and very sensitive areas in the constituency.
"A total of 225 booths have been webcasted, 170 micro observers were also appointed and around 315 CCTV cameras were installed to keep round the clock monitoring of the poll process in the constituency. Fifteen Model booths have been established in each assembly constituency," he informed.
Sambalpur is also ready to conduct the polls on Tuesday, Polling parties have today left for the booths coming under the Rengali and Sambalpur Assembly constituencies.
The final polling figures released by CEO Surendra Kumar reveals that around 71.61 per cent votes were polled across the six LS and 42 ACs. The final figures are marginally lower than the 72.7 per cent poll turnout in 2014.
As per the final poll figures, Keonjhar has recorded the highest turnout of 78.16 per cent. In 2014, the constituency had recorded the highest poll turnout of 80.4 per cent. Keonjhar LS turnout has dropped in 2019. Sambalpur LS had recorded 76.38 per cent turnout against a turnout of 75.87 per cent in 2014. The constituency has recorded marginally higher turnout this time. Similarly, Bhubaneswar LS has posted a marginal higher voting in 2019 with a turnout rate of 59.60 per cent against 58.38 per cent in 2014.
However, Dhenkanal recorded a lower turnout in 2019 as 74.98 per cent voters exercised their franchise against 76.43 per cent in 2014. Similarly, Cuttack saw a lower turnout of 69.65 per cent against 71.35 per cent in 2014. The temple town Puri recorded lower turnout of 72.53 per cent against 74 per cent in 2014.
Voters faced EVM blues again in this phase of polling. The CEO, Odisha has recommended repoll in a booth each in Baramba AC under Cuttack LS and Deogarh AC under Sambalpur LS. The reason has been mispairing of EVMs - means EVM for LS linked to AC and vice versa.
Besides, many places across the constituencies have reported EVM breakdowns that bogged down voters for hours in the polling stations.
For instance, a polling station at Ainginia-3 under Ekamara-Bhubaneswar had witnessed EVM failure. Voters faced a harrowing experience as they have to wait in queue for nearly three hours on a sultry noon as the polling station has no fans.
In pursuance of CEO's recommendations, the EC has ordered a repoll on April 25 in nine booths spread across four LS constituencies viz, Bargarh, Sundergarh, Kandhamal and Aska. As many as four booths in Bargarh will witness repolling on Thursday. Repolling will be held in booth number 16 in Padampur, booth number 35 in Attabira, booth number 68 in Bargarh AC and booth no 6 in Brajarajnagar AC.
A booth in Bonai AC and two booths in Sundergarh AC under the Sundergarh LS, a booth each in Daspalla and Betnotti under Kandhamal LS, and booth number 182 in Surada, where a BJP candidate had smashed the EVM, under Aska LS were to see repolling on the same day.
Voting in Kulgam district of the constituency is spread over four Assembly segments of Noorabad, Kulgam, Homshalibugh and Devsar.
Voting will take place in 433 polling stations and a total of 3,45,486 electors are eligible to vote.
Kulgam voting segment has the highest number of voters -- 98,298.
Authorities have made elaborate arrangements to ensure that militants are prevented from disrupting the democratic process by creating multiple layers of security.
Security forces were moved out early on Saturday to take over the polling stations across Kulgam district that has witnessed bloody gunfights between the security forces and the militants during the last three years.
In addition to securing polling stations and areas around these, security forces have also been deployed on roads and hillside areas.
"The shifting of EVMs to places designated for their safe deposit and ensuring safety to the poll staff after they discharge their duties during the day is another major challenge the security forces face in this constituency," poll officials said.
Incidents of miscreants pelting stones at vehicles carrying the poll staff and the security forces back to the district headquarters after the poll process were witnessed during the first phase of the three-phased poll process on April 23 in this constituency.
A policeman was killed and over 15 others, including poll staff and security forces, were injured when miscreants attacked two vehicles in Kokernag area of Anantnag district on April 23 in the evening.
Poll authorities have curtailed the voting hours in Anantnag constituency to ensure that the poll staff and the security forces return to designate places before darkness.
Voting hours have been scheduled from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of 6 p.m. as was done in the poll process of other Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
There are 18 candidates in the fray in this constituency, but the main contest is between Mehbooba Mufti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ghulam Ahmad Mir of Congress and Justice (Retired) Hasnain Masoodi of the National Conference (NC).
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Sofi Yusuf, the Peoples Conference (PC), Choudhary Zafar Ali. In addition, there is a lone woman candidate, Ridwana Sanam who is fighting as an Independent candidate.
For the first time in the electoral history of the state, a non-local, Shams Khwaja, a lawyer from Uttar Pradesh, is also in the fray.
Third phase of polling is scheduled in this constituency on May 6.
A total of 710 companies of CAPF were deployed across nine parliamentary constituencies in the state for the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha polls held on May 19.
"A strength of 200 companies of central forces will be retained in Bengal to provide security during counting of votes and to handle any form of post-poll violence till May 27. The force will be scattered all over the state," Dubey said.
The remaining 510 companies will move out, he added.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had on Sunday urged the Election Commission not to withdraw the forces till the forces model code of conduct is in force in Bengal.
"BJP demands that central forces be deployed in the state till the Model Code of Conduct is in force in Bengal. We are apprehensive about the fact there can be 'narasanhar' (massacre) in the state after the polls as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee vowed revenge inch by inch after the elections," she had said.
The Cabinet also gave the nod for the extension of benefit of Non-Functional Financial Upgradation (NFFU) and Non-Functional Selection Grade (NFSG) to the group A service officers of these paramilitary forces, said Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
The decision will benefit around 1,200 such officers, he said while addressing a press conference after a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Minister said that the benefit would be availed by the group 'A' officers of the Central Reserve Police Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal.
"It was the long pending demand of these paramilitary forces. Their officers of Group A service were not availing the benefits so far. It will also improve their financial as well as cadre status," Javadekar added.
This would result in grant of NFFU to eligible group 'A' executive cadre officers of paramilitary forces, and the decision would also benefit group 'A' executive cadre officers of these forces for availing the benefit of NFSG at an enhanced rate of 30 per cent as per guidelines.
Several writ petitions were filed in Delhi High Court by group 'A' executive cadre officers of paramilitary forces for grant of OGAS status and consequential benefits of NFFU and NFSG.
Delhi High Court in its order dated September 3, 2015 and December 15, 2015 treated the group 'A' executive cadre officers of paramilitary force as belonging to OGAS and directed for granting NFFU and NFSG to them.
A Home Ministry statement said that special leave petitions filed by the Union of India and others against the orders of Delhi High Court were dismissed by the Supreme Court on February 5 this year.
"It upheld the judgement and orders of Delhi High Court for grant of NFFU and NFSG to group 'A' executive cadre officers of the paramilitary forces," the statement added.
Releasing different aspects of policing in the country as on January 1, 2020, the BPR&D also said a total of 1,19,069 police personnel were recruited in 2019 in various police forces across India.
According to the data, the total sanctioned police forces in states and union territories is 26,23,225, while there are 20,91,488 police personnel actually in service. Therefore, 5,31,737 posts in police forces are lying vacant as on January 1, 2020.
The figures include civil police, district armed police, special armed police and India Reserve Battalions.
The BPR&D, a wing of the Ministry of Home Affairs, said the strength of women in police forces is 2,15,504, which is 10.30 per cent of the total police force in India. There has been a 16.05 per cent increase of women police over the previous year, it added.
The data said the total sanctioned strength of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) is 11,09,511 but the actual strength of the CAPFs as on January 1, 2020, is 9,82,391 a gap of 1,27,120 personnel.
The total number of women police personnel in CAPF is 29,249, which is 2.98 per cent of the total strength.
The CAPFs are CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, NSG and Assam Rifles.
Sanctioned Population Per Police Person (PPP) is 511.81 and the sanctioned Police Population Ratio (PPR), police personnel per lakh of population, is 195.39. The sanctioned Police Area Ratio (PAR) per 100 sq km is 79.80.
According to the data, there are 800 police districts in the country and the number of sanctioned police stations is 16,955. The total State Armed Police Battalions is 318 and the total police commissionerates is 63.
A total of 2,02,925 police vehicles are available with the states and UTs police, besides 4,60,220 CCTV cameras, the BPR&D said.
The government has spent Rs 1,566.85 crore in 2019-20 for expenditure and police training.
The BPR&D said it has been publishing the data on police organisations since 1986 and the data as on January 1, 2019, was released by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 29, 2020.
This is for the first time in the history of BPR&D that the annual data for a particular year has been released during the year itself, the BPR&D said in a statement, adding that much effort has gone into verifying the data.
(With PTI Inputs)
Addressing a press conference on the eve of the 82nd anniversary of the country's largest paramilitary force, Singh said that 495 out of the 725 companies have already reached the state while the rest are on their way.
"One CAPF company has an operational strength of about 72 personnel," he told the reporters.
West Bengal will have an eight-phased polling for its 294-member assembly beginning March 27.
Asked about the threat assessment in the poll-bound state, Singh said, "Threat assessments are done by state authorities in areas and they decide deployment on that basis."
"We do not have any such assessment that which phase would be more challenging," the 1986-batch IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre said.
Singh was recently appointed as the head of the over 3.25 lakh personnel-strong CRPF. He has been serving as a Special DG in the CRPF before taking up the top post.
"We provide support to the state authorities so that peaceful and successful elections could be held under the directions of the Election Commission."
"We are committed for peaceful, free and fair elections. We provide support, we do not gather intelligence," the CRPF DG said, adding deployment in the different phases of elections are being worked out.
The DG also added that the paramilitary provides its VIP security cover to 13 people in the state.