Government Creates 71,231 Posts in CAPFs and Assam Rifles; Faces 100,204 Vacancies

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, informed the Rajya Sabha that the government has created 71,231 new positions in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) from 2020 to 2024. However, as of October 30, 2024, these forces are grappling with a significant 100,204 vacancies.

In his written reply, Rai provided a breakdown of vacancies across various forces:
• Assam Rifles: 3,377 vacancies
• Border Security Force (BSF): 12,808 vacancies
• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF): 31,782 vacancies
• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): 33,730 vacancies
• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP): 9,861 vacancies
• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB): 8,646 vacancies

Rai attributed these vacancies to retirements, resignations, promotions, deaths, the raising of new battalions, and the creation of additional posts. He assured the Rajya Sabha that efforts to fill these positions are ongoing, with the government committed to expediting recruitment through agencies like the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and Staff Selection Commission (SSC), as well as through recruitment drives organized by the forces themselves.

To address the shortfall, the government is implementing measures to streamline the recruitment process, including:
• Holding timely Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meetings to address promotional vacancies
• Reducing delays in medical examinations
• Lowering cut-off marks for constable/GD positions to ensure sufficient candidates, especially in categories with significant shortfalls

The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to filling vacancies swiftly and strengthening the operational capacity of these vital security forces. Directions have been issued for the recruitment of non-general duty cadres to be conducted on a time-bound basis.