Highest number of BSF personnel followed by CRPF opting for Voluntary Retirement

As of the current year, a total of 4,127 Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, followed closely by 2,572 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, have voluntarily retired from service, according to information provided in Parliament on Wednesday. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, shared with the Rajya Sabha that the occurrences of voluntary retirement cases within the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) exhibit variations from year to year, and no discernible trend has been identified.

Responding to a query regarding CAPF personnel opting for voluntary retirement, Rai stated that the reasons cited by the forces include personal and domestic factors such as family issues, health concerns affecting oneself or family members, social or family obligations, and the pursuit of better career opportunities. The minister also highlighted the government initiatives aimed at reducing the number of personnel seeking voluntary retirement. These measures include timely cadre reviews, the provision of modified assured career progression benefits entailing three financial advancements at 10, 20, and 30 years of regular service to alleviate stagnation, the rotation of units deployed in challenging areas, posting near the home town during the last two years of superannuation, and extending loans for purposes like higher education, computer purchase, property acquisition, and medical facilities.

In the year 2023 alone, a breakdown of voluntary retirements reveals that 1,280 personnel from Assam Rifles, 4,127 from BSF, 596 from CISF, 2,572 from CRPF, 324 from ITBP, and 271 from SSB have chosen to retire voluntarily. Comparatively, in 2022, the numbers stood at 1,188 for Assam Rifles, 5,341 for BSF, 762 for CISF, 3,019 for CRPF, 545 for ITBP, and 314 for SSB, as informed by the minister.