'ZERO That Speaks Volumes': PM Modi Lauds As CRPF Goes 365 Days Without Operational Death For First Time Since 1979 | What Changed?

New Delhi: India’s largest paramilitary force, the CRPF, has gone a full year without losing a single jawan to enemy fire or operational hazards, registering a first in nearly half a century. As per data, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has completed 12 straight months without an operational fatality, a record that has eluded the 3.25 lakh-strong force for 47 years. 

CRPF Director General GP Singh marked the moment with a public note of congratulations to his personnel, confirming that the last operational death was registered on October 30 in the year 2025.

The latest statistic, notably, carries weight, as the last time the CRPF managed such a clean run was before January 1979, when India’s internal security was vastly different and far less demanding than it is today.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too took note of the historic stats with a succinct but powerful post, declaring, “A ZERO that speaks volumes", lauding the courage, preparedness and the unmatched resolve of the brave CRPF warriors.

Earlier, taking to X to announce a distinctive milestone in the history of the force, DG Singh wrote, “A significant milestone in the history of CRPF - 12 consecutive months (One Year) have passed without any Operational fatality in the force, the last operational fatality in the force being on Oct 30th 2025. This has happened after 47 Years (last such period ended in January 1979).”

The top officer credited the turnaround not to luck but to systemic improvements. According to the DG, better equipment, sharper training and far more meticulous operational planning have fundamentally changed outcomes on the ground.

He also particularly pointed to a crucial change in battlefield medical response. The force’s emphasis on quick casualty evacuation and moving injured personnel rapidly to secondary and tertiary medical facilities has played a key part in saving lives that might otherwise have been lost.

Success In Theatres, Parallel Crisis

DG Singh stressed that the achievement is more striking because it has come during a period of intense deployment. “It’s especially significant since this has happened while we continue to be deployed and engage intensely in all the major operational theatres, achieving significant breakthrough results. We remain committed to keeping the country peaceful & safe for all its citizens,” the CRPF DG wrote.

However, behind the celebration of operational success lies an uncomfortable and persistent counter-narrative that the force can no longer afford to file away under a separate category. The operational fatalities and deaths by suicide are recorded differently, and while the former has fallen to zero, the latter is rising alarmingly.

In August, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took suo motu cognisance of a media report which revealed that 19 CRPF personnel had died by suicide in less than 5 months, between January and May 2026. The NHRC noted that if the figures were accurate, they raised grave concerns about the right to life of personnel serving in the country’s largest Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). The commission subsequently issued notices to the Union Home Secretary and the CRPF Director General, demanding detailed reports.

The figures cited in the media report published on August 11 paint a concerning 5-year picture. As many as 281 CRPF personnel died by suicide in the past 5 years, with around 216 of them dying while on duty. The year-wise break-up shows 57 suicides in 2021, 43 in 2022, 57 in 2023, 46 in 2024 and 59 in 2025. The toll last year was the highest in the 5-year period, raising questions that no amount of operational excellence can paper over.

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