As many as 40,096 personnel of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPFs) and the Assam Rifles have sought voluntary retirement in the last five years, while another 6,529 resigned during the same period, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

More than half of these voluntary retirements (VR) have been sought by the personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) alone, while the maximum resignations have been witnessed in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai stated.

Rai furnished the figures from 2016 to 2020 in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha while responding to queries over resignations and VRs sought by personnel of the CAPFs and the Assam Rifles during the last five years.

The CAPFs comprise seven central security forces of the country under administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs. They are the Border Security Force (BSF), the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), besides the Assam Rifles (AR).

According to the data, 40,096 personnel of the CAPFs and the Assam Rifles have sought voluntary retirement from 2016 till 2020 while another 6,529 tendered resignation during the five-year period.

Among the forces, a maximum 20,249 VRs were sought by personnel of the BSF during the period followed by the CRPF (11,029), the CISF (2,858), the Assam Rifles (2,279), the ITBP (1,912) and the SSB (1,769), the data showed.

During the same period, 2,919 CISF personnel tendered resignation followed by the BSF (1,708), the CRPF (796), the ITBP (620), the SSB (412) and the Assam Rifles (74), according to the data.

Asked if any study has been conducted to find out the reasons behind such increasing cases of voluntary retirements and resignations, the minister said "no specific study" for ascertaining the reasons for voluntary retirement or resignation by personnel of force has been conducted.

"However, an analysis carried out by the forces indicates that personal and domestic reasons including children or family issues, health issues of self or family members, social or family obligations and commitments, better career opportunities are some of the major reasons for voluntary retirement or resignation," he added.