The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles are grappling with a significant personnel deficit, totaling over 109,000 vacancies across various ranks, as highlighted by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai during a session in the Rajya Sabha. Rai emphasized that the Ministry of Home Affairs is actively implementing measures to address these vacancies in a systematic and timely manner.
Recognizing that filling these vacancies is a continual challenge, Rai stated that the Ministry has been proactive in its approach, utilizing recruitment agencies such as the UPSC and SSC to expedite the process. These vacancies result from a range of factors, including retirements, resignations, promotions, deaths, and the establishment of new battalions.
The data provided reveals that 72,769 positions have already been advertised for recruitment, and the process is ongoing. The Director-Generals of key CAPFs, including the CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, and Assam Rifles, have been instructed to take immediate action to mitigate the personnel shortages.
Specifically, as of January 1, 2025, the CRPF has a sanctioned strength of 330,983 personnel, but only 296,114 positions are filled, creating a vacancy of 34,869. The BSF is facing a shortfall of 14,467 from a sanctioned force of 272,447. In a similar vein, the CISF encounters a gap of over 43,000 personnel, with only 150,720 members available against a sanctioned strength of 193,970. The ITBP is short by 15,035 personnel, the SSB has 7,859 vacant posts, and the Assam Rifles faces a deficit of 3,791.
To address the pressing manpower crisis, the government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the SSC, facilitating the annual recruitment of Constables (General Duty). Additionally, long-term nodal forces have been designated to oversee recruitment for General Duty Constable, Sub-Inspector, and Assistant Commandant posts.
In response to the urgent need for personnel, Rai also noted that CAPFs have been directed to expedite recruitment for non-General Duty positions. Other initiatives include hastening departmental promotion committee meetings, streamlining medical examinations, and lowering cutoff marks to ensure that sufficient candidates are selected, especially in categories where shortfalls have been noted.
