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High levels of occupational stress, extended deployments and long separation from family are among factors cited for suicides in the Armed Forces

The death by suicide of a 19-year-old trainee Agniveer at a Naval establishment in Odisha on April 18 has raised concern as it is the second such reported incident from the same station this month, focusing attention of service conditions and psychological health of troops.

According to reports, the trainee, Vikas Kumar, hailing from Bhojpur district of Bihar, had joined the Navy as an Agniveer in February and was undergoing training at INS Chilka in Odisha. His body was discovered on April 18 in a gym at the station.

This incident comes on the heels of another case reported from INS Chilka on April 8, when a trainee, Katik Yadav, belonging to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh had been found dead.

Agniveers in the Three Services are recruited for a four-year term, including the training period, after which 25 per cent are absorbed into the permanent cadre while the remaining are discharged from service. The first batch of Agniveers, which was enrolled in the end of 2022, will complete their term later this year.

When it was launched, apparently to keep the age profile of the armed forces low and reduce the pension bill, the Agniveer scheme had raised considerable debate in the security establishment over its efficacy and post discharge rehabilitation.

There have been earlier reports of suicides by Agniveers. Sources estimate the number of such cases in all three services to be about 25, including those in operational areas like Jammu and Kashmir.

High levels of occupational stress, extended deployments and long separation from family are among factors cited for suicides in the Armed Forces. Personal issues like marital discord, financial problems and family issues are also among reasons for suicides.

The Armed Forces have a structured programme to deal with stress among soldiers and several policies relating to service conditions and welfare measures have been implemented to address the issue.