Mumbai (Web Desk): Indian media quoted the country’s Defence Minister Subhash Bhamre saying that over three forty-eight (348) Indian military personnel committed suicide since 2014.
The minister told the parliament that Indian army has the highest ratio of suicides, with the number at 276. Sixty suicides were reported in the Indian Air Force while the figure stood at 12 for Navy.
He further added that eight cases of fratricide were reported during the period.
The defence minister also informed the legislators that Indian government has taken various steps to address the problem, including improving living standards and working conditions for the military personnel. The government has also mandated psychological counselling sessions conducted by officers for armed forces personnel and their families.
During the past few months, various videos of Indian soldiers complaining of dismal working conditions, inadequate time off, and unequal pay have surfaced.
The soldiers, who committed suicide, belonged to different forces of the Central Armed Police Forces—Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and Sashastra Seema Bal, the five security forces under India's Ministry of Home Affairs