Border Security Force (BSF) personnel saw the highest number of voluntary retirements among all other paramilitary forces in 2023, with around 4,127 jawans opting for VRS, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai told the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, ANI reported.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) came second with 2,572 personnel opting for VRS. Also, the number of Assam Rifles personnel opting for VRS in 2023 surpassed the numbers of 2022. However, the other forces did not see a similar increase in voluntary retirements.

Rai, however, dismissed the view that there is a trend in VRS, stressing that VRS cases in Assam Rifles (AR) and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) change every year.
This year, 1,280 Assam Rifles personnel, 4,127 BSF, 596 Central Industrial Security Force CISF, 2,572 CRPF, 324 Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and 271 Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel took voluntary retirement. In 2022, 1,188 Assam Rifles, 5,341 BSF, 762 CISF, 3,019 CRPF, 545 ITBP, and 314 SSB took voluntary retirement, ANI quoted the minister as saying.

“Reasons for voluntary retirement as indicated by forces are personal and domestic reasons, including children/family issues, health issues of self or family members, social/family obligations and commitments, (and) better career opportunities are some of the major reasons for voluntary retirement,” he informed.

Voluntary Retirements in Last Five Years

Between 2019 and 2023, 46,930 personnel took voluntary retirement from all the five wings of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles. BSF saw 21,860 voluntary retirements. The Border Security Force guards the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders besides providing internal security. According to PTI, there are around 2.65 lakh BSF personnel.
CRPF saw 12,893 voluntary retirements in five years. CRPF has strength of 3.25 lakh personnel, the highest among the forces in CAPFs. CRPF is mainly deployed in the Naxal-affected areas, Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast, according to the report. In the five-year period, 3,012 individuals took voluntary retirement from CISF, engaged in safeguarding infrastructure such as airports, nuclear and aerospace facilities, etc.; 2,281 from ITBP, which guards the Line of Control with China; and 1,738 from SSB, which guards the Nepal and Bhutan front.
In Assam Rifles, 5,146 personnel took early retirement in the last five years. The force guards the India-Myanmar border.
The main reasons for retirement include children and family issues, family commitments, social obligations, health issues, or better career opportunities. The government has taken several steps to reduce voluntary retirement, such as rotational deployments in harsh conditions and conflict areas, and “near-home” postings in the last two years to retirement, said the minister.