CRPF Records 12 Months Without Operational Fatality in 47 Years

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has completed 12 consecutive months without a single operational fatality anywhere in India, marking the first such period in 47 years. The milestone comes as Maoist activity has declined following a sustained security crackdown, even as the force continues to remain deployed across several sensitive operational theatres.

According to the available figures, the last operational fatalities occurred on October 30, 2025, in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district. CRPF Director General GP Singh described the achievement as a significant milestone for the force, which has faced casualties during operations against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) for decades.

CRPF Chief Credits Training, Equipment and Strategic Planning

In a post on X, Singh said the force had completed 12 consecutive months without an operational fatality for the first time since the period ending January 1979.

He credited the achievement to improvements in equipment, training, operational planning and the response provided after personnel are injured. He also highlighted the importance of rapidly evacuating injured personnel to secondary and tertiary medical facilities.

“We remain committed to keep the country peaceful & safe for all its citizens,” Singh said.

Singh noted that the milestone had been achieved while the CRPF continued to operate in major security theatres across the country and deliver significant operational results.

Eight CRPF Personnel Killed in Action in 2025

The figures highlight the change in operational fatalities over the past two years. In 2025, nine CRPF personnel died, including eight who were killed in action in areas affected by Left-Wing Extremism. One personnel died during field firing practice.

The eight operational fatalities were reported from LWE-affected areas of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. In 2024, the force recorded 12 deaths in Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir and Manipur.

The last operational fatalities in the current period occurred during an area-domination exercise in West Singhbhum, Jharkhand, in October 2025. Inspector Kousal Kumar Mishra succumbed to injuries sustained in a blast, while Head Constable Mahendra Lashkar was killed in action in the same incident.

Decline in Maoist Activity Changes CRPF’s Operational Landscape

The absence of operational fatalities has coincided with a major decline in Maoist activity across India. The government announced in Parliament that it had met the March 31, 2026, deadline for ending Left-Wing Extremism. India was declared Maoist-free on March 30 following a crackdown that resulted in surrenders, gunfights and arrests.

At the peak of Maoist activity in the mid-2000s, more than 100 districts were affected by Left-Wing Extremism. The latest assessment indicates that there are no longer any Maoist-affected districts in the country, although security agencies continue to monitor areas where the insurgency was previously active.

One significant development came on July 28, when Misir Besra, described as the last member of the Maoist Central Committee, was arrested in Jharkhand.

Officials have largely attributed the reduction in CRPF casualties to the decline in Maoist activity. However, the force’s improved equipment, training, planning and medical evacuation arrangements have also been credited with strengthening personnel safety during operations.

CRPF’s Deployment in Maoist-Affected Areas

The CRPF is India’s largest central armed police force, with a strength of more than 300,000 personnel. At the height of Maoist activity, nearly 50,000 CRPF personnel were deployed in LWE-affected areas across the country.

Of these, around 40,000 were stationed in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, which was considered the nerve centre of Maoist activity.

As the security situation in these areas has changed, several CRPF battalions have been moved from Bastar to other regions, including Manipur, where the force faces a different set of security challenges.

Manipur Emerges as a Major Operational Challenge

With Maoist-affected areas requiring continued monitoring, officials said the CRPF’s attention is increasingly focused on ethnic violence in Manipur. Several battalions have been deployed in the northeastern state amid continuing tensions, including the Naga-Kuki conflict.

A Manipur-based officer described the state as the force’s next major operational theatre, pointing to the challenges faced by personnel on the ground.

“Maoist areas only need monitoring…in Manipur, there is a rising challenge. The last three CRPF personnel injured [in action] were…in Imphal, where they were hit by a bomb from militants. And against the backdrop of CRPF taking over a camp of the SoO [Suspension of Operations] group cadres, the challenge has only increased.”

The officer added that the CRPF has expanded its presence across Manipur and replaced the Assam Rifles at several locations.

Officials are also considering deploying additional CRPF personnel in the state amid concerns over the security situation. The shift reflects the changing demands on the force as the Maoist insurgency recedes and other Internal Security challenges remain.

A Milestone Amid Changing Security Priorities

The CRPF’s 12-month period without an operational fatality marks a significant change from the years when personnel regularly faced casualties in Maoist-affected regions. The force’s leadership has highlighted the role of modern equipment, training, planning and emergency medical response in reaching the milestone.

At the same time, the deployment of personnel in Manipur underlines that the force continues to face operational risks even as the security landscape changes. Its immediate priorities now include monitoring former Maoist areas and responding to emerging challenges in the Northeast.