CAPFs: children of a lesser God

Source: This post is based on the article “CAPFs: children of a lesser God” published in The Hindu on 21st July 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3 – Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate.

Relevance: Recognising the contribution of CAPF personnel.

News: In several states of India, the policemen are given step-motherly treatment, but the personnel from the defence services are treated only with a limited quantity of respect.

How do various states treat CAPF personnel?

While defence personnel are paid handsome monetary grants by certain States, several others are economical. For instance,

The Telangana Government provide a grant of ₹2.25 crore for winners of Param Vir Chakra (PVC) (the highest wartime gallantry award) and the Ashoka Chakra (highest peacetime gallantry award). It also provides ₹1.25 crore for Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) (second-highest wartime gallantry award) and the Kirti Chakra (second-highest peacetime gallantry award).

On the other hand, the Tamil Nadu Government provide monetary grants of ₹25 lakh, ₹20 lakh, ₹15 lakh and ₹10 lakh for the PVC, the Ashoka Chakra, the MVC and the Kirti Chakra, respectively.

How can a CAPF personnel get the Chakra series of medals?

CAPFs comprise the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Assam Rifles. They were, however, eligible for the Chakra series of medals if the battalions were placed under the operational control of the Army.

The President’s notification of January 1952 had debarred personnel of the police forces and the fire services from being conferred with the chakra series of medals, though civilians were eligible.

The 1999 amendment to the order includes “citizens of either sex in all walks of life and members of police forces including Central Para Military Forces and the Railway Protection Force.”

What changes can be done to recognise the sacrifice of CAPFs personnel?

Institute exclusive medals for CAPFs: The Government could consider setting up a high-powered committee to go into the basics of instituting three classes of gallantry medals exclusively for the police forces. This should be done along the lines of the Ashoka Chakra, the Kirti Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra and could be named Sarvottam Police Chakra (SPC), Uttam Police Chakra (UPC) and Police Chakra (PC).

Give due recognition: Those who have been awarded the President’s Police and Fire Service Medal for Gallantry (PPFSMG) and the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) could be placed at par with the Kirti Chakra and awardees of the PMG could be placed at par with the Shaurya Chakra.

According to the government, over 2,000 personnel, including 47 Gazetted Officers of the CAPF lost their lives on operational duties during the last three years. The sacrifices made by the police and the CAPF personnel in the service of the nation cannot just be ignored.