MONTHLY FEATURE uuu POLICE AND SECURITY uuu JANUARY, 1995
KEEPING SECURITY FORCES YOUNG
Dr.S.Subramanian, IPS (Retd.)
National Security considerations demand that our Security Forces are kept young and fighting fit. To achieve this, at present, a policy of applying upper age limits to various levels and ranks is adopted. This results in enormous wastage of trained manpower; avoidable expenditure on training of large number of personnel who are jettisoned without providing adequate return by way of services on investments made on training; and as personnel are retired at a very young age, there is mounting burden of pension payments for the exchequer. In addition, considerable amounts are spent on Rehabilitation and Resettlement with doubtful results. It is possible to save crores of rupees and at the same time keep our Security Forces young, if a pragmatic attitude is adopted to analyse the causes and by suitably modifying the manpower and H.R.M.Policies.
It is a sad fact, that careers in Defence, Para-Military and Armed Police units are no longer attracting the youth. It is reported that Indian Army alone has over 5000 vacancies at the level of Captains and similar situations prevail in other forces. There is also a perceptible fall in the standards of youth volunteering to join Security Forces. Thus, a manpower crisis is gathering momentum in our Security Forces.
Causes for the youth keeping away from the Security Forces are not far to seek. Liberalisation and Economic Growth have created many employment opportunities for the youth with dynamism, spirit of adventure and leadership qualities. These are the precise qualities which the Security Forces are looking for, without being able to match the business and industry in pay and perks. Thanks to the emergence of unabashed consumerism and worship of mammon, our social values have undergone a sea-change. Since money means recognition, social standing and clout, youth would prefer to go for jobs which give them more money and perks. Given a choice, modern Indian youth would prefer to VALVO to a VIR CHAKRA, as the former could be got with less effort, personal risks and discomfort. It is not that our youth are unpatriotic and anti-National. As Napoleon said Army marches on its stomach, and the youth would like the Defence Forces to provide adequate compensation for their toil. Today, youth with a penchant for adventure go for professional sport, careers in Marketing and Media as they not only provide emotional satisfaction but also keep their wallets full.
Careers in Security Forces have lost their glamour in Society and their ratings in the Matrimonial Market Index is low. Educated brides wish to pursue their own careers and often marrying a Security Force personnel means giving up their ambition for an independent career. Secondly, the Damocles sword of being overlooked for promotion and thrown out always hangs on the heads of personnel of Security Forces. This uncertainty, for no fault of theirs, has a debilitating effort. Thirdly, the skills acquired in the Security Forces cease to have a market in private sector. Lastly, life in the Security Forces is difficult and many are not able to discharge their family and social obligations.
To attract the youth back to the Security Forces, there is need to radically revise the existing Manpower and H.R.M. Policies. We should be able to offer the youth, uninterrupted advancement in career with reasonable pay and perks and a quieter life in advanced years when they are beset with family problems. More than any thing else, any one joining the Security Forces should be able to work till the age of retirement prescribed for civilian services, namely 58 years.
It is possible to achieve this if Defence, Para-Military and Central Police Organisations are able to dovetail their manpower policies and work in close cooperation. Personnel should be able to move from one difficult job to a lesser difficult one carrying with him the skills acquired earlier. This calls for the establishment of a National Militia.
NATIONAL MILITIA would consist of units raised, trained, equipped and controlled by the Union Government and with units located in all districts and cities. It will be a State based hierarchy. Youth will be selected and appointed to National Militia Units of a District/City and he will continue in that till he attains the age of 58 years, unless he moves over to Defence or Para-Military Organisations. Induction into national Militia will be at three levels. At the level of Jawans, a broad based District Committee under the Chairmanship of the District Magistrate with representatives of Defence; Para Military and Police Forces would select the candidates once a quarter. At the middle level of Platoon Commanders (equivalent to Sub-Inspectors) selections will be made by the Staff Selection Commission of India. At the Officers level, UPSC will select the personnel. For obvious reasons, All India selections will be once a year but appointments will be given to the natives of the Districts/Cities and if sufficient candidates are not forthcoming to the natives of the State.
After selection, all the three categories of personnel will undergo a Basic Training of nine months to enable them to work with Defence Forces. Thereafter, they will be deputed to serve in the Defence Forces for a period of five years. At the end of this period, one fifth of the personnel will be given an option to choose Defence Forces for permanent absorption. Since they have already served for five years in the Defence Forces, authorities will be able to select the most suitable material from the volunteers. Once appointed to the Defence Forces on a permanent basis, personnel will relinquish their lien in the National Militia, but will carry their Service and pay entitlements with them.
Remaining personnel, will move to Border Police organisations for Service for the next five years. Before field deployment, they would be given reorientation training for a period of six months. Since these personnel have already been exposed to the working of Defence Forces, it will be easy for these personnel to work with them in the event of a War. At the end of this period, 20% of the personnel will be given an option to join the Border Police organisations for permanent appointment.
Rest of the personnel would be distributed to CRPF, RPF and other Central Police Organisations for service for a further period of five years. These organisations would then get personnel with ten years field exposure. Each organisation would carry out a Reorientation Training Programme of six months for these personnel before deployment. At the end of this period, 20% of them will be given a choice to serve permanently in the Central Police Organisations. Remainder will go back to their parent National Militia Units in the Districts and Cities.
State Governments would be persuaded to take volunteers from the National Militia Units for the State Armed Police, District Armed Police and Civil Police Units located in the Districts and Cities. Since these personnel hail from the same State, there would be no serious administrative problems. Others will serve in the National Militia till they attain 58 years.
Advantages of this system are obvious. Defence and Border Police Organisations would get very young personnel. As their roles are complementary, in the event of an external threat, a young Force would be available to fight the enemy. PMFs like CRPF, CISF, RPF will get well trained personnel. When the personnel ultimately return to the District/Cities to serve in the Militia, they would still be young, well-trained and disciplined and with their experience in the Defence/Border Police/PMFs, they will have a National outlook and be devoid of parochialism.
By standardising the weaponry and training of these personnel, it should be possible to enable them to acquire specialised skills, as they proceed from one organisation to another. Cumulatively, all the skills will be available to the National Militia at the District/City level. In addition, National Militia personnel should also receive intensive training in Civil Defence, Disaster Management, Riot Control, Relief work, etc. in the Districts/Cities to make them more useful for national/local needs.
The concept of National Militia can be worked out without affecting the organisational and administrative structure of the Security Forces. All that they would need to do is to reserve vacancies in their formations for the National Militia deputationists to serve and earmark some percentage of permanent vacancies for eligible National Militia volunteers.
Care should be taken to ensure :
It is felt that creation of National Militia would remove the existing infirmities faced by the youth and ultimately help in all Districts and Cities having a well-trained Force to meet man-made and natural calamities. Since career in National Militia will be an assured one and youth can have a sense of security and permanency while having flexibility to choose the Security Forces of their liking.
There is need to decombatise many of the supporting tasks. Aging combatants should be given training to handle non-combatant supporting jobs. Age and medical category could be revised to suit experienced combatant personnel. Their output will be far better due to their combatant experience.
Finally, lessons of Gulf War should not be lost sight of. The future Wars will be hi-tech. Excessive manpower will be a liability. Perhaps; we may think of a future scenario, where our Defence Forces go hi-tech and the infantry and ground support is provided by Para-Military Forces. Such a shift will provide more funds for Defence Forces to reorganise and acquire modern weapons and hi-tech gadgetry. As the world is moving towards the Concept of Global Village, Security Forces should also think in terms of complementary roles and eschew competition which consumes resources.
(The author is formerly Director General, CRPF and NSG)