The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is preparing to reinstate the ranks of 'Lanec-naika' and 'Naek' after nearly 29 years. The CRPF headquarters has sent a corresponding proposal to all units and requested the opinions of military personnel within 48 hours. The goal of this step is to provide soldiers with more opportunities for career advancement, boost their morale, and reduce delays in career progression.
The ranks of 'Lanec-naika' and 'Naek' were abolished in the CRPF in 1997 when they were merged with the ranks of private and senior constable. Nevertheless, these ranks are maintained in the army.
According to the presented plan, a serviceman will be able to obtain the rank of 'Lanec-naika' after five years of service in the CRPF, and the rank of 'Naek' after ten years of service. After that, a transition to the position of senior constable is planned upon completion of fifteen years of service.
Currently, the average time for the first promotion for a private in the CRPF is between 22 and 25 years. Complaints regarding this long delay in promotion have regularly been received from military personnel. The introduction of new ranks will allow soldiers to receive two more promotions before reaching the rank of senior constable, which is expected to help address their grievances and improve morale.
These changes affect the CRPF, which has about 3.25 lakh servicemen, and are aimed at improving working conditions for recruits who will be discharged from the army under the Agniveer scheme. The first cohort of recruits who served four years under the Agniveer scheme will begin discharge at the end of the current year, after which they will become candidates for employment in the CRPF and other central armed police forces.
Currently, there is a practice in the CAPF of awarding a senior private badge on the uniform of a private, which is equivalent to the rank of Lanec-naika, but such a system is not provided for the rank of 'Naek'.
Ranbir Singh, Secretary General of the association of former semi-military employees, noted that soldiers will only benefit from these changes if the promotions are timely. In turn, one of the senior commanders of the CRPF emphasized that these ranks should not be introduced merely formally; it also affects discipline and work processes in battalions, so this aspect must be considered. The final decision on the proposal has not yet been made and will be taken after receiving feedback from the military personnel.