CRPF mulls revival of lance naik, naik ranks after 30 years; promotions, Agniveers in focus

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is considering the revival of the Army ranks of lance naik and naik, abolished in the force in 1997, to address promotion delays among personnel and attract retiring Agniveers from the Army, officials said on Saturday.

The CRPF headquarters has asked hundreds of field formations across the country to hold stakeholder meetings, or 'Sainik Sammelans', within two days and gather personnel's views on the proposal, they told PTI.

The two ranks were abolished in the CRPF in 1997 under a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order and merged with the police ranks of constable and head constable. However, lance naik and naik continue to exist in the Army.

Under the earlier promotion structure, a constable could become a lance naik after five years of service, a naik after 10 years and a head constable after 20 years.

The approximately 3.25-lakh-strong force is currently grappling with severe stagnation in promotions, with constables receiving their first promotion after an average of 22-25 years. The delay has triggered grievances among personnel.

Officials said restoring the two ranks would create two additional promotion opportunities for constables before they reach the head constable level, helping address grievances and boost morale.

The proposal is also aimed at making CRPF service more attractive to Agniveers from the Army, whose first batch is due to retire later this year and will be eligible to join the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), including the CRPF.

Agniveers are short-term military personnel recruited into the three armed forces for four years under the Centre’s Agnipath scheme.

At present, the CAPFs have an ad hoc arrangement under which constables wear a non-sanctioned senior constable rank insignia, equivalent to the lance naik rank. However, no such arrangement exists for the naik rank.

Ranbir Singh, Secretary General of the Ex-Paramilitary Personnel Association, said the proposal would benefit jawans only if it ensured time-bound promotions; otherwise, the exercise would prove futile.

A senior CRPF commandant said the reintroduction of the two Army ranks should “not just be a cosmetic move and should ensure that the discipline of the battalion is maintained”.

The CRPF and the Border Security Force (BSF) had these ranks in line with the Army's infantry battalions.

A battalion currently has more than 20 subordinate officers among over 1,000 men and women. The commandant said any policy decision should take into account the regimentation and operational efficiency of a unit.