First time in 47 years, CRPF records a year without operational deaths

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has, for the first time in the last 47 years, completed a 12-month year without a single loss of life during operational activities anywhere in the country. This is the first time since the period of January 1979 that 12 consecutive months have passed without any operational death being recorded. According to a report by Hindustan Times, this achievement comes at a time when the government had announced the goal of ending Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by 31 March.

CRPF Chief GP Singh described this as a significant milestone in a post on the social media platform X. He stated that 12 consecutive months have passed without any operational deaths. A major contribution to this achievement is modern hardware, improved training, and strategic planning. Additionally, focusing on post-incident response, which includes the rapid movement of injured personnel to secondary and tertiary medical facilities, has greatly helped in achieving this goal. Singh further added that this achievement is even more significant as the force is actively deployed in all major operational areas and is achieving notable success. He also expressed commitment to maintaining peace and security for all citizens of the country.

The primary reason behind this achievement is believed to be the end of Maoist activities. In the year 2025, nine out of eight CRPF personnel were killed during combat in Left Wing Extremism affected areas, while one personnel died during field firing practice. In the year 2024, 12 deaths were recorded in Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Manipur. In October 2025, during an area domination exercise in the West Singhbhum area of Jharkhand, Inspector Kaushal Kumar Mishra died due to injuries sustained in an explosion, and Head Constable Mahendra Lashkar was also killed in combat on the same day.

During the peak of Maoism in India, i.e., in the mid-2000s, more than 100 districts were affected by Left Wing Extremism. At the peak of Maoism, nearly 50,000 CRPF personnel were deployed in these areas, including 40,000 personnel in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. However, as a result of strict action, record-breaking surrenders, encounters, and arrests, India was declared Maoism-free on 30 March, 2026. Finally, on 28 July, the last member of the Maoist Central Committee, Misir Besra, was arrested from Jharkhand, where the last two CRPF personnel were killed in combat in October 2025.

Now, the CRPF's focus is on the ethnic violence in Manipur, where several battalions have been moved from Bastar. As the Naga-Kuki conflict escalates, the Central Government is planning to send more CRPF personnel to Manipur. According to an officer deployed in Manipur, the North-Eastern state has now become a major challenge for the CRPF. He stated that while Maoist areas now only require surveillance, the challenges in Manipur are increasing. In a rebel bomb attack in Imphal, three CRPF personnel were recently injured. Additionally, challenges have increased as the CRPF takes over camps of SoO (Suspension of Operations) group cadres. The CRPF is suddenly being seen everywhere in Manipur, as it has also taken the place of the Assam Rifles in various locations. With more than 3,00,000 personnel, the CRPF is India's largest Central Armed Police Force.