307 CAPF & Assam Rifles personnel sacrificed lives during duty in last 5 years

According to Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, 307 members of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR) have died while performing their duties for the country during the past five years.

In response to a question from Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MP KRN Rajeshkumar, Rai provided the figures, noting that 27 of the 307 employees gave their lives in 2021, 39 in 2020, 90 in 2019, 75 in 2018, and 76 in 2018, respectively.

Out of the 307 soldiers, 180 were assigned to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 49 to the Border Security Force (BSF), 37 to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), 7 to the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and 27 to the Assam Rifles.

When Rajeshkumar, the head of the DMK, asked the minister "if it is a fact that a huge number of paramilitary personnel had sacrificed their lives for the nation," the minister responded.

The Minister stated that the Central ex-gratia lump sum compensation has increased with effect from January 1, 2016 from Rs 15 lakh to Rs 35 lakh for death on active duty and from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for death on duty, informing about the benefits available to the Next of Kin (NoK) of CAPFs and Assam Rifles personnel killed on duty.

According to the Central Civil Service (Extra Ordinary Pension) Rules, 1939, the NoK of the deceased are eligible to receive a Liberalized Family Pension.

All service-related benefits, such as Death-cum-Retirement Gratuity (DCRG), Leave Encashment, Central Government Employees Group Insurance Scheme (CGEGIS), and General Provident Fund (GPF), are admissible.

Each of the forces has established welfare programmes at the level of the force for its members, such as Benevolent Funds, financial aid and scholarships for children's education, and financial support for daughter and sister marriages.

An online platform called "Bharat ke Veer" enables individuals to donate freely to the NoKs of CAPF servicemen who give their lives in the line of duty. According to the minister, these donations are made straight to NoKs' accounts online. "Funds received under the Bharat Ke Veer corpus are also distributed to the NoKs of such personnel," the statement continues.

On the model of the "Battle Casualty Certificate" in the Armed Forces, "Operational Casualty Certificates" (OCC) are presented to NoKs of CAPFs troops who are killed in action. According to the privileges provided to NoKs of the Armed Forces members, OCC entitles NoKs to some perks like reduced air and rail travel costs, the allocation of gas pumps, etc.

Under the Prime Minister Scholarship Scheme (PMSS), the children of current and former members of the CAPF, Assam Rifles, and National Security Guard (NSG) are granted monthly stipends of Rs 3,000 for females and Rs 2,500 for boys.

Many states and Union Territories have also established plans to compensate and support NoKs in accordance with their regulations.