Over a lakh positions vacant in CAPFs and AR: Govt

Over one lakh positions are vacant in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles (AR), Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

The total posted strength of CAPF and AR was 9,48,204 as on September 30, according to the Union Home Ministry data.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said the government is taking steps to fill the vacancies expeditiously.

It has created 71,231 new posts in the CAPFs and AR in the last five years, according to the data provided by Rai in a written response to a question.

The minister said vacancies in CAPFs and AR arise on account of retirements, resignations, promotions, deaths, the raising of a new battalion, the creation of new posts, etc, and filling them up is a continuous process.

The data showed that 1,00,204 posts are vacant in CAPFs and AR with 33,730 vacancies in CRPF; 31,782 in CISF; 12,808 in BSF; 9,861 in ITBP; 8,646 in SSB and 3,377 in AR as on October 30.

“The Ministry has been taking and will continue to take earnest steps to fill up the vacancies expeditiously through UPSC, SSC and the forces concerned,” the minister said.

He said the government has taken several steps to increase intake like a reduction in the time taken for medical examination to expedite the recruitment, lowering the cut-off marks for short-listing candidates for Constable-GD to get sufficient candidates (especially in categories where shortfalls have been observed).

In response to a separate question, the minister said the government has given due importance to the overall well-being of personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces.

“To this end, the Ministry has made constant efforts so that CAPF personnel spend 100 days in a year with the family in order that their life balance is enhanced,” he said.

The data cited by the minister shows that 42,797 CAPF and AR personnel have availed 100 days' leave in a year between 2020 and October 2024.

To a question on financial assistance provided to martyred CAPF and AR personnel through the Bharat ke Veer portal, the minister said financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh in addition to other financial entitlements is being provided to next of kin (NoKs) of martyrs through the portal.

“The Bharat Ke Veer Trust ensures that NoK of martyrs get a minimum of Rs one crore from all entitlements. Parents of married martyrs are also provided financial assistance of Rs. 10 Lakh from 'Bharat Ke Veer Trust',” he said.

The minister said the Bharat ke Veer portal was launched in 2017 while the Bharat ke Veer Trust was established in 2018 and 501 dependents of martyrs have been provided financial assistance from it so far.