NEW DELHI: There were nearly 1.1 lakh vacancies across various Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles as on January 1, 2025, which constitute 10.3% of their combined sanctioned strength, the home ministry told the Rajya Sabha on WednesdayReplying to a question, junior home minister Nityanand Rai however said 72,689 vacancies have been notified for recruitment, “which is underway”.Sharing further data, Rai said the sanctioned strength of CAPFs including BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and SSB and Assam Rifles went by 6.1%, from a little over 10 lakh in 2021 to almost 10.7 lakh on January 1, 2025.As per the data provided by MHA, while CRPF has the most vacancies in absolute terms (34,869), vacancies as a percentage of the force’s sanctioned strength are highest in CISF (17.4%). A good 14.5% posts in ITBP were vacant as on January 1, 2025, while the vacancies in CRPF were 10.5%, in SSB 7.8%, in Assam Rifles 5.8% and in BSF, 5.3% of its sanctioned strength.Rai said the government is taking earnest steps to fill up the vacancies expeditiously through UPSC, Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and the concerned forces. It has signed an MoU with SSC for yearly recruitment for posts of constable (general duty). Also, a nodal force to coordinate recruitment to general duty posts in the ranks of constable, sub-inspector and assistant commandant has been nominated on a long-term basis.Directions have been issued to all CAPFs and Assam Rifles to undertake recruitment against vacant posts in non-general duty cadres in a time-bound manner, said Rai. Other steps include timely conduct of meetings of the departmental promotion committee to fill up promotional vacancies, reduction in time taken in medical examination, and lowering of cutoff marks for shortlisting candidates for the post of constable (general duty).