Lok Sabha Question No. 124 (STARRED), answered on 2016-05-03
Subject: Suicide by Police Personnel
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: T.G. VENKATESH BABU, SUPRIYA SADANAND SULE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*124 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 3 RD  MAY, 2016/VAISAKHA 13, 1938 (SAKA)

SUICIDE BY POLICE PERSONNEL

*124. SHRI VENKATESH BABU T.G.: SHRIMATI SUPRIYA SULE:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a) whether incidents of suicide committed by police personnel have been reported in States and UTs, recently;

(b) if so, the number of such cases reported during each of the last three years and the current year, gender and State-wise including Delhi police personnel;

(c)  whether  the  Government  has  identified  the  causes/circumstances behind such incidents and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government, in coordination with the States, has any proposal to provide adequate and modern arms training and reduce stress and work load of such personnel as well as motivate the lower rung of the police force and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) the other measures taken by the Government to check such cases in future and improve the working conditions of police personnel along with the steps taken so far for the welfare of police personnel in the country?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HARIBHAI PARATHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (e): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT IN REPLY TO THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*124 FOR 03.05.2016.

(a) & (b): 'Police' and 'Law and Order' are State subjects, falling in Entry 1 and 2  of List -II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. However, as per data maintained by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB),  State/Union  Territory-wise  breakup  of  number  of  suicides  by police  personnel  in  the  calendar  years  2012,  2013  and  2014  is  at Annexure-I. So far as the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR), are concerned, force and gender-wise details of personnel who committed suicide during each of the last three years and the current year are at Annexure-II.

(c): The  causative  factors  in  most  of  the  cases  were  found  to  be personal  and  domestic  problems  such  as  marital  discords,  personal enmity,  mental  illness,  depression  etc.  In  few  cases  the  same  could  be owing to work related stress.

(d) & (e): Since personnel matters of state police are handled by states themselves, the Government of India has no direct role in improving the working  conditions  and  welfare  of the state police personnel.  However, ….3/

## L.S.S.Q.NO.*124 FOR 03.05.2016

Union Government has been advising the State Governments for improving the working  conditions  of their police  personnel  and  to  undertake necessary welfare measures. They have also been advised to put in place an effective mechanism  for  redressal of personnel grievances and resolution of inter-personal problems and to conduct appropriate sensitization training programmes. Central assistance for better infrastructural  facilities  at  police  stations  and  strengthening  of  State Government training  institutions  is  provided  to  State  Police  through  the Scheme of Modernisation of Police Force. Funds provided for infrastructural development of State Police Force under this scheme also contribute to maintaining morale of the State police personnel.  So far as CAPFs/AR are concerned, various measures taken by the Government of India  to  improve  the  working  conditions  and  welfare  of  these  police personnel are listed at Annexure-III.

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## PAGE 1 OF 1 OF ANNEXURE-I L.S.S.Q.NO.*124 FOR 03.05.2016

## State/UT wise civil personnel, armed police personnel and other police personnel committed suicides during 2012,2013 & 2014.

| Sl. No.   | State/UT          | 2012 Total   | 2013         |              | 2014         | 2014         | Total Police   |
|-----------|-------------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|--------------|----------------|
| Sl. No.   | State/UT          | Police       | Total Police | Civil Police | Armed Police | Other Police | Total Police   |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    | 10           | 11           | 3            | 0            | 0            | 3              |
| 2         | Arunachal Pradesh | 1            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 3         | Assam             | 1            | 6            | 0            | 2            | 0            | 2              |
| 4         | Bihar             | 1            | 8            | 0            | 1            | 0            | 1              |
| 5         | Chhattisgarh      | 7            | 4            | 10           | 4            | 1            | 15             |
| 6         | Goa               | 0            | 1            | 0            | 0            | 1            | 1              |
| 7         | Gujarat           | 6            | 8            | 3            | 2            | 0            | 5              |
| 8         | Haryana           | 10           | 8            | 5            | 0            | 1            | 6              |
| 9         | Himachal Pradesh  | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 10        | Jammu & Kashmir   | 2            | 5            | 3            | 0            | 0            | 3              |
| 11        | Jharkhand         | 1            | 7            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 12        | Karnataka         | 17           | 15           | 7            | 0            | 0            | 7              |
| 13        | Kerala            | 8            | 15           | 8            | 1            | 0            | 9              |
| 14        | Madhya Pradesh    | 12           | 8            | 14           | 0            | 1            | 15             |
| 15        | Maharashtra       | 28           | 40           | 32           | 2            | 2            | 36             |
| 16        | Manipur           | 0            | 2            | 1            | 4            | 0            | 5              |
| 17        | Meghalaya         | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 18        | Mizoram           | 2            | 2            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 19        | Nagaland          | 0            | 1            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 20        | Odisha            | 6            | 1            | 0            | 1            | 3            | 4              |
| 21        | Punjab            | 1            | 9            | 4            | 0            | 0            | 4              |
| 22        | Rajasthan         | 4            | 2            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 23        | Sikkim            | 0            | 0            | 1            | 0            | 0            | 1              |
| 24        | Tamil Nadu        | 58           | 31           | 27           | 0            | 0            | 27             |
| 25        | Telangana         |              |              | 1            | 2            | 0            | 3              |
| 26        | Tripura           | 2            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 27        | Uttar Pradesh     | 9            | 9            | 4            | 1            | 1            | 6              |
| 28        | Uttarakhand       | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 29        | West Bengal       | 10           | 29           | 1            | 5            | 1            | 7              |
|           | TOTAL STATE(S)    | 196          | 222          | 124          | 25           | 11           | 160            |
| 30        | A & N Islands     | 4            | 1            | 1            | 0            | 0            | 1              |
| 31        | Chandigarh        | 3            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 32        | D&N Haveli        | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 33        | Daman & Diu       | 1            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 34        | Delhi UT          | 10           | 10           | 4            | 0            | 0            | 4              |
| 35        | Lakshadweep       | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
| 36        | Puducherry        | 0            | 2            | 0            | 0            | 0            | 0              |
|           | TOTAL UT(S)       | 18           | 13           | 5            | 0            | 0            | 5              |
|           | TOTAL (ALL INDIA) | 214          | 235          | 129          | 25           | 11           | 165            |

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PAGE 1 OF 1OF ANNEXURE-II L.S.S.Q.NO.*124 FOR 03.05.2016

Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles (AR), force and gender-wise details  of  personnel  committed suicide during each of the last three  years and the current year is as under:-

| Force   | Gender   |   Years |   Years |   Years | Years   | Total   |
|---------|----------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
| Force   | Gender   |    2013 |    2014 |    2015 | 2016*   | Total   |
| CRPF    | Male     |      38 |      41 |      37 | 6       | 122     |
|         | Female   |       0 |       0 |       1 | 0       | 1       |
| BSF     | Male     |      38 |      46 |      27 | 4       | 115     |
|         | Female   |       0 |       0 |       0 | 1       | 1       |
| SSB     | Male     |       7 |       8 |       8 | 1       | 24      |
|         | Female   |       0 |       0 |       0 | 0       | 0       |
| ITBP    | Male     |       7 |       8 |       9 | 2       | 26      |
|         | Female   |       0 |       0 |       0 | 0       | 0       |
| CISF    | Male     |      13 |      10 |      15 | 2       | 40      |
|         | Female   |       4 |       1 |       1 | 0       | 6       |
| AR      | Male     |       8 |      11 |      11 | 0       | 30      |
|         | Female   |       0 |       0 |       0 | 0       | 0       |
|         | Total    |     115 |     125 |     109 | 16      | 365     |

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## Following actions have been taken by the Government to curb suicides among the CAPF personnel in the country :-

- i) Transparent policies pertaining to transfer and leave of CAPFs and AR personnel. The  hospitalization  period  due  to  injuries  while  on  duty  is  treated  as  on  duty. Choice of posting is considered to the extent possible after the personnel served in hard area.
2. ii) Regular interaction of officers with troops to find out and address their grievances.
3. iii) Ensuring adequate rest and relief by regulating the duty hours.
4. iv) Improving living conditions for troops, providing adequate recreational/ entertainment, sports, communication facilities etc. Crèche facility is also provided at various establishments (where feasible) to facilitate the female employees.
- v) Facility of retention of government accommodation at the place of last posting (for keeping the family) while posted in NE State, J&K and LWE affected areas (except State Capitals).
6. vi) Providing better medical facilities, also organizing talks with specialists to address their  personal  and  psychological  concerns  and  organizing  Meditation  &  Yoga routinely for better stress management.
7. vii) Adequately compensating the troops deployed in difficult areas.
8. viii) Other welfare measures like facility of Central Police Canteen (CPC), scholarship for  wards  etc.  Also  air  courier  service  has  been  provided  to  CAPF  personnel deployed in NE States and J&K as welfare measure.
9. ix) Designating retired CAPF personnel as ex-CAPF personnel for better identity and community recognition.
- x) Promotions are released regularly to eligible personnel as & when the vacancies arise. Financial benefits under Modified Assured Career Progression (MACP) are given in case promotions do not take place for want of vacancies at 10, 20 & 30 years of service.

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