Alarmed by the rise in suicides among its ranks, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has formed a high-level core group to conduct monthly reviews of such self-harm cases and strengthen institutional prevention measures.

This decision follows a meeting at the CRPF headquarters earlier this month, in which senior officers discussed the need for a structured mechanism to examine such incidents, identify recurring risk factors, and improve support systems.

Deaths by suicide among CRPF personnel touched a five-year high in 2025. As many as 59 such deaths were reported last year, according to official data. According to the data, 57 CRPF personnel died by suicide in 2021, 43 in 2022, 57 in 2023, 46 in 2024 and 59 in 2025. Nineteen such deaths were reported till May 30 this year. The figures from 2021 to May 2026 also indicate that several of these deaths took place while the personnel were on duty.

Last week, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took note of this and sought reports from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the CRPF Director General.

How core group will work

According to an officer, the core group will be headed by CRPF Director General GP Singh. “The group will meet every month, preferably in the third week, to review self-harm incidents reported in the preceding period. Each review will examine the causes and circumstances of the incident, the availability and use of welfare or psychological support, preventive steps taken by the unit concerned and any systemic issues requiring corrective intervention,” the officer added.

For each case, the head of the office or the commandant of the battalion concerned will be required to deliver a structured four- to five-slide presentation to the core group via video conference, the officer said. “The presentation will cover the background of the individual, circumstances leading to the incident, actions taken by the unit, welfare and medical interventions provided, findings of the preliminary inquiry or investigation and specific measures taken to prevent recurrence.”

The supervisory operational head of the unit, including the relevant DIG, IG and ADG or SDG exercising operational control, will also attend the review through video conference. “The core group has been tasked with examining each case objectively and recommending preventive, welfare, administrative and medical measures wherever necessary. It will also identify common trends and recurring risk factors emerging from the cases reviewed and propose institutional interventions at the force level,” the officer said.

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As per the plan, the monthly review mechanism is intended to ensure continuous monitoring, timely intervention, accountability and strengthening of preventive steps aimed at reducing self-harm among CRPF personnel.