46,000 personnel from CAPFs opted for early retirement, as per Rajya Sabha in last 5 years

New Delhi: The Ministry of Home Affairs revealed on Wednesday that more than 46,000 personnel from six Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) chose early retirement over the past five years. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, conveyed in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha that the cases of voluntary retirement in these forces fluctuated annually, with no discernible trend.

Rai stated, "The maximum, exceeding 21,000 individuals, who opted for early retirement were from the Border Security Force (BSF), responsible for guarding the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh."

According to the provided data, a total of 46,930 personnel from five CAPFs and the Assam Rifles availed themselves of the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) between 2019 and 2023, with the BSF leading at 21,860.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the largest CAPF with approximately 3.25 lakh personnel, witnessed 12,893 opting for VRS. The CRPF is engaged in anti-Naxal operations, counter-terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and counter-insurgency operations in the northeast.

Other notable figures included 5,146 from the Assam Rifles, 3,012 from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 2,281 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and 1,738 from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

The reasons cited for voluntary retirement, as per these forces, included personal and domestic concerns such as family issues, health matters for self or family members, social or family obligations, and the pursuit of better career opportunities.

Minister Rai emphasized that the government is taking various measures, including unit rotation from extreme to normal areas and posting personnel near their hometown during the last two years of superannuation, to address and reduce the instances of early retirements.