Focus: GS III- Defence
Why in news?
Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Shri Amit Shah launched the “CAPF e-AWAS” web portal in New Delhi today.
Significance:
- The Union Home Minister said a system had been created in the CAPFs under which only personnel of the Forcefor which houses had been constructed could be allotted these houses.
- This had left many thousands of houses vacant.
- This has now been changed through the e-Awas portal and houses lying vacant will also be available for personnel of other CAPFs.
- Housing Satisfaction Ratio (HSR) was around 33 per cent in 2014, which is 48 per cent today, launch of CAPF e-Awas portal will increase HSR by 13 per cent without construction of new buildings. It is projected that the HSR will be 73% by November 2024.
- Various other schemes have been launched to increase the Housing Satisfaction Ratio. These include building offices, strengthening hospitals and increasing the number of residences.
Other initiatives:
- ‘Ayushman CAPF’: This scheme will provide better medical facilities to families of Jawans, under which more than 35 lakh Ayushman Cards have been distributed to 10 lakh personnel.
- Under this scheme, about 56,000 bills worth more than Rs. 31 crore have been paid so far.
- e-Transfer Software has been created to bring transparency in transfer of CAPF personnel.
Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF)
- The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) comprises five Armed forces of the Union of India under the authority of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The 5 forces of CAPF are:
- Border Security Force (BSF),
- Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF),
- Central Industrial Security Force (CISF),
- Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the
- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
- Apart from the primary role, all CAPFs are involved in assisting Police in Law & Order situations and also Army in Counter-Terrorist Operations. BSF & CRPF have assisted the army during external aggression in the past.
- Central Armed Police Forces personnel also serve in various important organisations such as Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Special Protection Group (SPG), National Investigation Agency (NIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) etc.
