The Centre has accorded sanction to upgrade the post of one deputy commandant (operations) to second-in-command (operations) in each of the 15 battalions of the Rapid Action Force (RAF), 10 CoBRA battalions and six Mahila battalions of the CRPF to temporarily stem stagnation at the level of deputy commandants.
The proposal was pending for over two years when a cadre review was undertaken in 2016-17 and one deputy commandant (operations) in each of the General Duty battalions was upgraded to second-in-command (II-I/C). GD battalions refer to operational battalions of the Force.
While the purpose of the cadre review was to undertake a thorough cadre management, the CRPF opted for ad hoc promotion of the deputy commandants to II-I/C. This led to stagnation at the level of the deputy commandants which was affecting operational profile, CRPF veterans said.
The move will lead to promotion of 31 deputy commandants in the RAF, specialized anti-Naxal unit Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and Mahila Battalions.
While officials welcomed the move to promote the deputy commandants in the RAF, CoBRA and Mahila Battalions, they termed it as a temporary measure which will not alleviate the long term problem of stagnation at the junior and middle level hierarchy of the cadre officers.
While the rank of the deputy commandants have been upgraded to II I/C but the number of the posts of the deputy commandants has been simultaneously reduced, they said, adding the cadre review conducted in 2016-17 was an eyewash.
An Assistant Commandant rank officer in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) as well as the Border Security Force (BSF) takes 11 to 12 years to get the first promotion to the rank of deputy commandant as against the army officers getting their first promotion in just four years. A deputy commandant is promoted to the next level of II-I/C in six to seven years. “This leads to an increased age profile of the junior and middle level leadership in the armed forces under the Union Home Ministry which is alarming and detrimental for both the morale of the officers and operational efficiency,” officials said.
While yet another cadre review is underway but the same has not been finalized. A scientific career progression management of the cadre officers is required to improve the bleak promotion prospects of the officers who are recruited by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), they added.
“The undersigned is directed to refer to CRPF’s (note on the subject) and to convey approval of the competent authority for upgradation of one post each of Deputy Commandant (Ops) to the rank of Second-in-Command (Ops) in 10 CoBRA Bns, 15 RAF Battalions and 06 Mahila Battalions of CRPF at par with male GD (General Duty) Battalions subject to the filling up of these posts by the officers who are already drawing NFFU (non-functional financial upgradation) or higher ranks,” reads an order issued on Tuesday by Under Secretary Ashutosh Kumar of PF III desk of the Union Home Ministry.