3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Mar 12, 2026 09:29 AM IST
More than 93,000 posts are vacant in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and the Assam Rifles, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.In a written reply, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai presented vacancy data across paramilitary forces. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has 28,342 vacant posts, followed by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) with 27,400 vacancies.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has 14,531 vacancies, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) 12,333, and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) 6,784. The Assam Rifles has 3,749 vacant posts, taking the total vacancies to 93,139.
Responding to concerns over whether the vacancies have affected law enforcement, internal security, and disaster response capabilities, Rai said the forces continue to discharge their duties effectively. “Forces are performing all responsibilities in a highly professional manner through optimal utilisation of available resources,” he said.
The minister added that filling vacancies in CAPFs and Assam Rifles is an ongoing process. Recruitment is conducted through agencies such as the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). Measures taken to speed up recruitment include annual recruitment of Constable (General Duty) through the SSC, appointing a nodal force to coordinate recruitment for key posts, and using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology during physical tests.
Rai said the time taken for medical examinations has also been reduced, and cut-off marks for shortlisting candidates in categories facing shortages have been lowered. Regular meetings of departmental promotion committees are also being held to fill promotional vacancies.
In response to another question, Rai said resignations in CAPFs have increased in recent years, rising from 1,255 in 2021 to 2,333 in 2025. The figures stood at 1,183 in 2022, 2,037 in 2023 and 2,724 in 2024.
Data shared by the government also showed a decline in cases of suicides, fratricides and voluntary retirements. Suicides were reported at 158 in 2025 compared to 143 in 2021, while fratricide cases declined from 11 in 2021 to four in 2025. Voluntary retirements fell from 10,828 in 2021 to 4,291 in 2025.
Story continues below this ad
On the question of restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for CAPF personnel following a 2023 Delhi High Court judgment that treated CAPFs as “Armed Forces of the Union of India”, Rai said the matter is currently sub judice before the Supreme Court.
He added that the Ministry of Home Affairs has set up the Welfare and Rehabilitation Board (WARB) to support retired CAPF personnel and their families, including next of kin of deceased or disabled personnel. The board has designated Central, State and District Welfare Officers across states and Union Territories to oversee welfare and rehabilitation efforts.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
