BHUBANESWAR: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has summoned the Union Home Affairs secretary and Defence secretary with directions to look into the unhealthy body mass index and mental health issues of armed forces.
Acting on a petition by rights activist and Supreme Court lawyer Radhakanta Tripathy, the apex human rights panel has sought an action taken report on steps taken to identify and regularly monitor armed personnel’s mental health conditions and prevent mental disorders among officers, within eight weeks.
Drawing the attention of the Commission on rising suicide and fratricide cases in the armed forces, the petitioner argued that the Centre has failed to ensure the physical fitness, and mental health of the defence personnel in the army, navy, air force, CISF, CRPF, BSF, and other paramilitary forces.
“There are several instances wherein the armed forces personnel have committed suicide or killed their colleagues due to poor mental health. Neither the mental health nor the physical parameters have been taken into account while assessing the efficiency and performance of jawans and paramilitary forces,” he alleged.
The petitioner had requested the NHRC for direction/recommendations to the authorities to take steps to identify mental health issues among the armed forces personnel and provide adequate support to such vulnerable persons, who are suffering from mental illness.