Rising Resignations in Central Armed Police Forces

Rising Resignations in Central Armed Police Forces

Why in News? 

Recently, the government informed the Rajya Sabha that resignations in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have increased in recent years, rising from 1,255 in 2021 to 2,333 in 2025, highlighting growing manpower challenges.

Recent Data on Resignations in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs)

• Rising Resignation Trend: Recent data presented by the Government in Parliament shows that resignations of CAPFs increased from 1,255 personnel in 2021 to 1,183 in 2022, 2,037 in 2023, and 2,724 in 2024, while 2,333 personnel resigned in 2025, highlighting concerns about manpower retention.
• Overall Resignations: According to information shared by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in Parliament, a total of 23,360 personnel from CAPFs and Assam Rifles resigned between 2014 and 2025. These figures indicate a sustained attrition trend across India’s paramilitary forces over the last decade.
  • For the year 2025 alone, around 3,077 personnel resigned from CAPFs and Assam Rifles, with the BSF reporting the highest number of resignations (about 1,157). This reflects continuing attrition despite ongoing recruitment and welfare initiatives by the government.
• Force-wise Resignation: Force-wise data shows that the Border Security Force (BSF) recorded the highest number of resignations at 7,493, followed by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with 7,456, and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) with 4,137 resignations during the 2014–2025 period. 
• Workforce Gap: As of January 2026, more than 93,000 posts were vacant across the CAPFs and Assam Rifles, which constitutes roughly 8.7% of the sanctioned strength. Such shortages can affect operational efficiency in critical security duties.
  • The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has 28,342 vacant posts, followed by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with 27,400 vacancies.
  • The Border Security Force (BSF) has 14,531 vacancies, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 12,333, Assam Rifles has 3,749 and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) 6,784.

Major Reasons Behind Rising Resignations in CAPFs

• Severe Occupational Stress: According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), nearly 75% of non-gazetted officers experience moderate to high occupational stress. Constant deployment in hostile environments such as Maoist-affected regions and high-altitude borders without “cooling-off” periods leads to mental exhaustion and high attrition. 
  • Over the past few years, the forces have also witnessed mental-health challenges, including over 730 suicide cases among CAPF, NSG, and Assam Rifles personnel in five years.
• Stagnant Career Progression: A major deterrent is promotion stagnation, where personnel may wait over 20 years for a single rank advancement. The “parachuting” of IPS officers into senior CAPF leadership positions (DIG to DG) further limits internal growth opportunities for cadre officers, causing widespread dissatisfaction.
• Personal Constraints: The government identifies personal/domestic reasons as the primary driver for early exits. These include the inability to fulfill social obligations, manage children’s education, or care for elderly parents due to perpetual field postings.
• Harsh Service Conditions: Personnel often face inhospitable living conditions at Border Out Posts (BOPs), including extreme weather in ITBP and BSF sectors. Long duty hours, often exceeding 12–14 hours, and a lack of basic infrastructure like family housing contribute to low morale. 
• Leave Management Issues: While personnel are entitled to 75–100 days of annual leave, operational exigencies often prevent them from availing it. Over 80% of suicide cases reportedly occur immediately after personnel return to duty from leave, highlighting the psychological distress of family separation. 
• Pension and Financial Disparity: The transition to the National Pension System (NPS) for those joining after 2004 remains a “sore spot”. Many resign to seek jobs with the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) or compare their benefits unfavourably with the Regular Army, a matter currently sub-judice in the Supreme Court. 
• Health and Medical Challenges: Inadequate medical facilities in remote deployment zones lead to chronic health issues. High rates of physical illness, often treated as “on-duty” only if injury-related, prompt many to resign to seek better healthcare in civilian life.

Impact on Internal Security and Operational Efficiency

• Diminished Intelligence Networks: The resignation of 2,724 personnel in 2024 severely disrupts “ground-level” intelligence gathering. Since CAPF units rely on long-term local rapport for counter-insurgency, the sudden exit of seasoned jawans creates information vacuums, allowing insurgent groups in Maoist-affected zones to regroup without detection.
• Reduced Quick Reaction Capability: The Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) often operate at 15–20% below sanctioned strength. This manpower shortage delays response times during border infiltrations or terror attacks, as depleted units struggle to mobilize backup forces without compromising existing security posts.
• Compromised Critical Infrastructure Protection: The CISF faces 28,342 vacancies, representing a 17.7% deficit. This shortage forces a transition from “proactive surveillance” to “reactive guarding” at 66 sensitive airports and nuclear installations. Personnel fatigue increases the risk of security breaches during high-stakes.
• Tactical Vulnerability in Jungle Warfare: In Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) theaters, the CRPF is forced to cancel “cooling-off” periods. This leads to cognitive fatigue, which the MHA links to tactical errors during ambushes. Fatigued troops are less likely to follow strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), increasing casualty risks.
• Resource Diversion from Modernization: High attrition forces the government to spend approximately ₹5.5 lakhs per recruit on basic training repeatedly. This creates a fiscal drain, diverting billions from the CAPF Modernization Plan-IV, which aims to provide drones and thermal imagers, leaving frontline troops with outdated surveillance technology.

Government Measures to Address Vacancies and Improve Service Conditions

• 100-Day Mandatory Leave Policy: The government is implementing a 100-day annual leave mandate to ensure jawans spend significant time with families. By February 2026, digital tracking systems were integrated into the Prahari App to automate leave sanctions, aiming to reduce the “perpetual stress” that led to 158 suicides in 2025.
• Ayushman CAPF Healthcare Expansion: Over 35 lakh Ayushman CAPF cards have been distributed, providing cashless treatment at 24,000+ hospitals. This initiative allows personnel and dependents to access super-specialty care without upfront payments, directly addressing health-related resignations.
• Agnipath Integration and Reservation: A 10% horizontal reservation for ex-Agniveers has been enacted for Constable and Rifleman posts. These candidates are exempt from the Physical Efficiency Test (PET) and receive a 3-year age relaxation, creating a pre-trained pipeline to fill the 28,342 vacancies in the CISF and other wings. 
• Fast-Track Promotion Through NFU: To resolve career stagnation, the government has bolstered Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU). This ensures that even if a physical rank vacancy is unavailable, officers receive the financial grade of their IAS/IPS counterparts after specific years of service.
• Housing Satisfaction Augmentation: The 2026 Union Budget increased CAPF housing funds by 44%, targeting a satisfaction level of 50%. By constructing family wings at BOPs, the MHA aims to reduce the “static life” deficit that currently drives younger personnel toward civilian resignations.
• Psychological Support: The government has mandated Yoga and meditation programs across all 2,000+ active units. The appointment of civilian psychologists at the Battalion level has been initiated to provide a neutral space for mental health support, targeting the high-stress environments.