'418 armed forces personnel committed suicide in last 4 yrs'

A total of 418 armed forces personnel committed suicide in the last four years with a maximum of 335 such cases reported in the Army, the government informed the Lok Sabha today.
Replying to a question, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre also said 41,960 armed forces personnel have applied for premature retirement from service in the last four years.
He said a maximum of 38,953 Army personnel have sought pre-mature retirement, followed by 2,542 Indian Air Force personnel and 465 from the Navy.
On the suicide figure, he said 335 Army men, 67 from the IAF and 16 Navy personnel took the extreme step since 2014.

He said a maximum of 104 Army personnel had committed suicide in 2016 while the number in the current year is 69.
"Some of the reasons for committing suicide are family issues/domestic problems, marital discord, perceived grievances and personal issues," he said.
The minister said various steps have been taken by the armed forces to create a healthy environment for the officers and other ranks.