Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
personnel deployed in some of the force’s toughest and stressful assignments,
including those on duty at the Parliament House Complex and commandos engaged
in high-level VIP security, will undergo specialised psychometric assessments
to identify personnel facing psychological stress and strengthen mental health
support, people aware of the matter said.
The initiative focuses on identifying personnel
in high-pressure, sensitive roles where the job exposes them to prolonged
stress and intense responsibilities. The force is also training in-house staff
to recognise behavioural changes and signs of stress among colleagues to
facilitate timely intervention.
In the Special Protection Group (SPG), India’s
elite security unit responsible for the Prime Minister’s protection, personnel
joining the group already have to clear an in-house psychological test. SPG
personnel regularly take the Vienna Test System, which is believed to be one of
the toughest online psychological tests in the world.
The CISF’s security unit, called the Special
Security Group (SSG), guards some officials facing the highest level of threat,
including Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Manipur’s former CM Biren
Singh, NSA Ajit Doval, and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The move assumes significance in the wake of
Tuesday’s fratricide incident in Kathua, in which four CISF personnel were
killed. Stress and mental health concerns remain important issues for security
personnel working in high-pressure environments and performing sensitive
duties, underscoring the need for early identification and professional
intervention.
Although the CISF head constable who shot his
company commander and three others with an AK-47 was arrested, CISF officials
are probing the work environment at the hydroelectric project in Kathua where
the shooting occurred.
Coincidentally, four days before Tuesday’s
fratricide incident, the CISF had signed a three-year memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences
(IHBAS) on September 25 to establish a comprehensive mental wellness framework
for its personnel. The partnership will also focus on training officers to
identify early behavioural changes, signs of acute stress and psychiatric
emergencies to facilitate timely intervention.
In the last three years, the country’s central
armed police forces (CAPFs) have reported at least 438 cases of suicide and
seven cases of fratricide. In 2025, there were 133 suicides, with the CRPF
reporting the highest number at 56, followed by the BSF at 25 and the CISF at
20. The number of personnel resigning from the CAPFs has also remained high in
recent years. While 3,077 personnel resigned in 2025, the figure was 3,295 in
2024. Between 2015 and 2025, at least 21,327 personnel resigned from the
forces.
The new mental health initiatives aim to ensure
that personnel struggling with stress or other psychological concerns receive
timely counselling and support, instead of losing interest in the job, leaving
the force or taking extreme steps.
CISF director general Praveer Ranjan said at
the MoU signing ceremony last Saturday, “CISF personnel work in exceptionally
demanding and high-responsibility environments. This partnership with IHBAS
will significantly strengthen our efforts toward early identification,
professional counselling, and timely clinical treatment of mental health
concerns. Our absolute focus is to create an organisational culture where seeking
professional support is actively encouraged and entirely free from stigma.”