New Delhi: In a key move to clear long pending promotions of personnel at the lower rank, the Indian government has approved the very first cadre review of Group B and C employees of the Border Security Force (BSF), ranging from constable to inspector rank.
The BSF has already kickstarted the cadre review process following the approval.
It is the first ever review for these grades and implementation will cover immediate promotions for 23,710 personnel. On Wednesday, a total of 8116 promotion orders in different ranks were issued, according to the BSF.
Sources in the BSF said that 3,900 posts have been created for the ranks of head constable, assistant sub inspector, sub inspector and inspector. The maximum number of posts are that of inspectors. “The posts creation has also increased the existing strength,” a source said.
The move, long awaited, has followed the BSF’s significant role in the India-Pakistan conflict this May. The move is expected to end existing post stagnation, which in turn will lead to morale enhancement for the troops.
“This will be a significant morale boosting step by the government of India post Operation Sindoor for career progression within the cutting-edge rank and file. The review is expected to improve promotion avenues from constable to inspector that will provide significant respite to them from existing stagnation, thereby enhancing overall morale and professional development of force personnel,” the BSF said in a statement.
In March this year, the Supreme Court had asked the government to conduct a cadre review of all Central Armed Police Forces due in 2021, within the next six months. The court had noted that post stagnation would impact the force’s morale. The order was passed on petitions filed by personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force, BSF, Sashastra Seema Bal, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Central Industrial Security Force.
“Keeping in mind the twin objectives of service mobility of the cadre officers of CAPFs, removing stagnation on the one hand and the operational/functional requirements of the forces on the other hand, we are of the view that the number of posts earmarked for deputation in the cadres of CAPFs up to the level of Senior Administrative Grade (SAG)… this should be progressively reduced over a period of time, say within an outer limit of two years,” the top court had observed.
In 2018, the standing committee on home affairs had noted the stagnation of BSF personnel in some posts, observing that it takes up to “23 years to get promotion”.
“The committee wonders how the force expects the personnel at the lowest rank to maintain their morale in view of such stagnation which would provide them with only one promotion throughout their career. The committee also feels that it is quite understandable that thousands of constables opt for voluntary retirement after 20 years of service as they are left with no hope of career progression,” the panel’s report stated.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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