The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) which had reportedly been dealing with a grim recurrence of suicides occurring among its jawans for some time now, has noticed a fortunate improvement in the number of suicides.
According to data there has been a 40% decline in the rate of death by suicide among CISF jawans in the past year and it seems the solution to it has been a number of proactive measures among which focusing on work-life balance was quite important.
How Did CISF Achieve This Decline?
The CISF going by recently released data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) has witnessed the national suicide rate among its rank and file go down from 12.4 lakh in 2022 to 9.87 lakh in 2024.
This means that there has been an overall decline of over 40% in 2023 and according to sources “It is for the first time in the last five years that CISF suicide rate has fallen below the national rate. CISF has taken a series of steps to address mental health issues on proactive basis, leading to a substantial reduction in suicides.”
As per a senior source, “Suicide of force members is a critical concern within Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), stress, prolonged family separation and work-related pressures besides personal issues often contribute to this complex issue.”
Among some of the proactive measures taken by CISF has been to have commanding officers visit duty posts regularly, which encourages direct communication and a daily “briefing–debriefing” has helped identify and address any signs of distress without any time wastage.
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An online grievance portal and a mental health support helpline called Project Mann were also introduced, which includes 24×7 tele-counselling, personal counselling, and more. These initiatives cover all the levels in the CISF up to the DG and helps not only to let people vent but also resolve grievances promptly.
Around 4,200 CISF personnel have used this facility according to reports till September 2024.
Another key element that was paid attention to was improving the work-life balance of the CISF personnel. A recent CISF headquarters study has shown that two-thirds of the personal grievances filed were around posting matters something that directly affects their personal lives.
To combat this a new CISF policy was introduced that allowed non-gazetted staff and other personnel to choose their postings so they can be near their families.
According to a CISF spokesperson, “The policy will affect the non-gazetted staff that constitutes 98% of CISF manpower. It also caters to the needs of working women, married couples and personnel nearing retirement.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Economic Times, The Hindu, TOI
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This post is tagged under: CISF Jawans, CISF, CISF Jawans suicide, CISF Jawans report, work life balance, Central Industrial Security Force, suicide, CISF suicide rate reduction, reduction in suicides 2024, effective mental health strategies, mental health support CISF, mental health initiatives, Project Mann CISF, suicides in Central Armed Police Forces
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