Cabinet eases educational criteria for Chhattisgarh tribals to join CRPF

Notably, in 2016-17, the CRPF had raised one Bastariya Battallion where youths were primarily recruited from the Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur and Sukma districts of the Bastar region of the state. The government had then relaxed many requirements of specific physical features for recruitment to help locals join the force. The move was aimed at having people with local knowledge of language, culture, topography and demography in the force so as to strengthen its intelligence collection and operations.

However, it could not yield optimum results as not many native youths could fulfil the minimum educational qualification eligibility criteria, which was Class 10, a statement from the MHA said.

The recruits under the new eligibility criteria will still be required to pass Class 10 after joining the force, the responsibility of helping them in this endeavour will lie with the CRPF, it said.

According to the MHA, the new recruits will be confirmed in service only after clearing Class 10. “Thus formal education will be given to these recruits and CRPF will extend all possible support like providing study material, books and coaching assistance during their probation period,” the ministry said.

“The probation period may be extended suitably, if required, to facilitate new recruits to acquire the prescribed education qualification. In order to facilitate them to take the Class 10 exam, these recruits will be registered with National Institute of Open Schools,” the statement said.

Earlier too government had tried to recruit tribals through quotas in each battalion. This, however, had not been very successful with year after year vacancies piling up. “Bastar tribals are shorter than other tribals and very lean. So, even after relaxed norms, they could rarely make it,” a senior CRPF officer said.

The government had then relaxed physical requirements of height from 160 cm to 155.5 cm. Similarly, chest measurement was capped at 73.5 cm instead of 75 cm. There was relaxation in weight, too.