Jaipur Express train firing: 38% surge in psychiatric cases in CAPF from 2020-22 | Oneindia News
A Railway Protection Force personnel, on a shooting spree on a running train on Monday morning, killed four, including his boss. While his choice of victims raises doubts about whether this was a random shooting or not, his lawyers and the Railways have hinted that he may have been mentally disturbed. While that is yet to be proved, it does reopen the conversation on the mental health of armed personnel in India.
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00:00 A railway protection force personnel on a shooting spree on a running train on Monday
00:05 morning killed four, including his boss.
00:08 While his choice of victims raises doubts about whether this was a random shooting or
00:12 not, his lawyers and the railways have hinted that he may have been mentally disturbed.
00:17 While that is yet to be proved, it does reopen the conversation on the mental health of armed
00:23 police personnel in India.
00:26 On Wednesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Rajya Sabha that there has been
00:30 a 38 per cent increase in psychiatric cases in the Central Armed Police Forces between
00:36 2020 and 2022.
00:39 The number has gone up from 3,584 to 4,940.
00:45 Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said that the CAPFs such as the Border
00:50 Security Force, the Sashastra Seemabal, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Indo-Tibetan
00:55 Border Police Force, the Assam Rifles and the Central Industrial Security Force have
01:00 available to them psychiatrists, clinical psychologists and counsellors.
01:06 But considering that there are only five psychiatric doctors in ITBP, four in BSF, three in CRBF
01:13 and one each in SSB and AR, is it enough?
01:17 Especially if one considers that there have been 658 suicides in the Central Armed Police
01:23 Forces between 2018 and 2022.
01:26 Data from the Ministry shows that 1,205 jawans have committed suicide over the last 10 years,
01:32 which is about 125 a year on average.
01:37 Nityanand Rai outlined just what the government is doing to help those with mental issues
01:42 in the Central Armed Police Forces.
01:44 Cases are being treated by experts and, if needed, being referred to specialists in hospitals.
01:49 Each patient's records are maintained with regular follow-ups.
01:53 Moreover, yoga is now a part of the routine physical training and there is stress counselling
01:57 at all levels.
02:00 But it's not just suicide.
02:02 Cases of fratricide are also up.
02:04 A Home Ministry-appointed task force found triggers include issues related to humiliation,
02:09 harassment and leave-related conflicts.
02:12 Looking into the instances of suicide and fratricides in the CAPF and Assam Rifles,
02:17 the task force found that the jawans are under increasing stress.
02:21 Officials said that the draft report also finds tough service conditions, criticism,
02:25 humiliation at workplace and access to weapons among the key reasons for suicides and fratricides.
02:32 The stress and mental health concerns also leads to a high attrition rate among the Central
02:37 Armed Police Forces.
02:38 Over 50,000 CAPF personnel quit jobs in the past five years, according to the government
02:44 data.
02:45 The highest attrition was in 2022, when 11,884 personnel quit their jobs.
02:52 According to a government panel, continuous and prolonged deployment of troops in tough,
02:56 inhospitable conditions, lack of rest, poor prospects for growth are some of the reasons
03:01 for high attrition, particularly in the BSF and CRPF.
03:06 Many also leave due to family reasons, to look after farms or businesses, or for better
03:10 opportunities in the private sector.
03:17 [BLANK_AUDIO]