Over 61,000 posts of central paramilitary personnel are lying vacant in six paramilitary forces in the country, Home Ministry statistics said.

Altogether, 18,460 posts are lying vacant in the country's largest paramilitary force, CRPF, as on March 1, 2018, while 10,738 posts are remaining vacant in the border guarding force BSF.

A home ministry official said the vacancies in the paramilitary forces arise due to retirement, resignation, death, creation of new posts or raising of new battalions.

"The vacancies are filled through various modes, including direct recruitment, promotion and by deputation as per the extant provisions of recruitment rules. Filling up of vacancies is a continuous process," he said.

As many as 18,942 posts are lying vacant with the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) as on March 1, 2018, while 5,786 posts are vacant in the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

There are 3,840 vacancies in the Assam Rifles and 3,812 vacancies in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) as on the said date.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is primarily deployed for the assistance of state police forces in internal security, fighting militants in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, and in anti-Naxal operations in Maoist-hit areas. The Border Security Force (BSF) guards the Indo-Pak and Indo-Bangladesh borders, while the SSB protects the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders, and the ITBP is deployed along the Sino-Indian border.

The CISF guards the airports, nuclear and industrial installations, sensitive government buildings, Delhi Metro besides others.

The Assam Rifles is deployed for guarding the Indo-Myanmar border and fighting insurgency in the Northeast.

The combined strength of the paramilitary forces is around 10 lakh.