New Delhi, December 02, 2021 (PPI-OT):India has set up a taskforce comprising senior officers of Home Ministry for the prevention of increasing suicide trend among central paramilitary forces’ personnel. The taskforce is headed by Indian CRPF Director General Kuldip Singh, while a special or additional DG of the BSF, ITBP, CISF, SSB and Assam Rifles will serve as members.

The taskforce will draw a plan to “identify relevant risk factors and protective factors at the individual level; look at the existing and futuristic protective factors and study prevention strategies and also conduct research and interact with domain experts”, according to the terms of reference, reported in Indian media.

Indian Government data updated till August shows 680 Indian Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) or central paramilitary forces personnel died by suicide in the last six years. The taskforce has been asked by the Home Ministry to identify risk factors like “past suicidal attempt by the trooper, impulsivity as a personality trait, mental illness, alcohol or drugs abuse, aggressive tendencies, acute emotional crises, acute severe physical illness or chronic physical illness, acute stressful life events among others” during their analysis and frame recommendations.

A senior Indian home ministry officer said the taskforce is an effort to “comprehensively address the issue of suicides in forces.” A CAPF officer, however, said that rather than creating a taskforce of officers, the ministry should bring in subject experts from the private domain. “An outsider with expertise on this subject will be able to suggest some harsh remedies which may not be suggested by the in-house panel,” the CAPF officer said.

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