CRPF Introduces 4 Weeks Of Training For Ranks That Last Few Hours, Carry No Benefits | Exclusive

Last Updated:April 13, 2026, 14:03 IST

A total of 801 personnel across five course categories are being sent for the training, each course running for four weeks.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has introduced a four-week training course as a prerequisite for personnel seeking an honorary rank upgrade on retirement, a rank that lasts only for the final hours of their service and carries no financial or pension benefits.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had in May 2025 announced that personnel from the rank of Constable to Sub-Inspector in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles would be granted an honorary rank, one level higher, on the day of their retirement.

The policy, announced on May 29, 2025, explicitly stated that no financial or pension benefits would be attached to the honorary rank.

Documents reviewed by News18 show that CRPF has allotted slots at multiple training institutions for Special Promotional Courses beginning in April which will be on a Willingness and Eligibility basis.

The CRPF has not responded to queries on why a structured training programme has been linked to the honorary promotion scheme.

A total of 801 personnel across five course categories are being sent for the training, each course running for four weeks.

The original MHA policy made no mention of any training course as a condition for the honorary rank.

Personnel and officers within the force have questioned the logic of the move. “Retiring personnel are required to travel to a training institution, spend four weeks to complete the course, and return to receive a rank that will be conferred on their last day of service, for a few hours and lapse the same day, with no monetary or post-retirement value," IG rank official said.

“The question is whether it makes sense to spend four weeks in training for a rank that has no tangible benefit and exists only briefly," another official said.

The courses also represent an additional cost to the exchequer, covering accommodation, logistics, and instruction for over 800 personnel across multiple institutions simultaneously.

The MHA scheme was framed as a measure to boost morale and recognise long service. Critics within the force argue that attaching a month-long residential course to what was designed as a simple symbolic gesture on retirement day defeats its original purpose.

News india CRPF Introduces 4 Weeks Of Training For Ranks That Last Few Hours, Carry No Benefits | Exclusive

Read More