80 per cent of suicides occurred in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles (AR), according to the draft final report of a task force formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to formulate an action plan for suicide prevention When personnel return to work from leave.
Major personal factors leading to suicide include the death of a spouse or family member, marital discord or divorce, financial hardship, and inadequate educational opportunities for children.
The report highlights that suicide triggers can stem from family and duty-related issues, and that successful experiences in either area can significantly reduce a person’s stress levels. The report noted that female personnel had lower rates of suicide attempts than men, which was attributed to men’s reluctance to share problems for fear of being ridiculed by colleagues.
Furthermore, while acknowledging career challenges as potential triggers, most agreed that these were not the only causes of suicide.
The report describes fratricide as a psychosocial phenomenon with profound consequences for discipline, trust and camaraderie in the force. Common reasons identified include challenging service conditions, delays in taking leave (particularly during family emergencies), reactions to criticism or harassment, and unresolved issues that escalated due to the behavior of colleagues.
The report states that provocations leading to violence are often triggered by humiliation, criticism, family problems, denial of leave, abusive language or unfair distribution of responsibilities, with humiliation being the main cause.
way forward
The report also provides key recommendations and ways forward for different forces. “Efforts by different forces to manage stress so far have been haphazard, piecemeal, and often not led to a logical conclusion,” the report said.
Key recommendations to address this gap fall broadly into four categories. “Initiatives to ensure mental health, enhance working/service conditions and welfare-related initiatives, promote communication, advocacy and outreach-related initiatives and opportunities for interaction.”
Job vacancies and promotions should be given priority
The task force’s final draft recommendations talk about prioritizing filling of vacancies and promotions. “The major constraint on timely leave of force personnel is the large number of vacancies and operational commitments in the force. Therefore, vacancies at all ranks can be filled on a priority basis.”
The task force also recommended ensuring a transparent leave management system. Providing leave reserves for each grade may facilitate the liberalization of leave and should ensure transparent transfer policies, the report said. Insufficient pathways for advancement within the service can lead to low morale among personnel. Therefore, the promotion policy may be reviewed to improve the morale of the people.
work group
In October 2021, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs formed a working group chaired by the Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force and including officers of the rank of Special Director General/Additional Director General of other Armed Police Forces/Assam Rifles.
The first meeting of the working group was held in December 2021 under the chairmanship of the Special Secretary (IS). The second meeting was held in February 2022 under the chairmanship of the Special Secretary (IS), where all CAPF/ARs were asked to send their study reports.
The drafting committee prepared the final draft report after an in-depth study and analysis of the data provided by all the forces/ADG (Medical) and in consultation with experts from NIMHANS and Amrita University, with recommendations for further action.
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