In Assam, cops have 3 months to lose weight or lose their jobs

Over the next fortnight, nearly 67,000 personnel of the Assam Police will be weighed and their body mass index (BMI) measured in a bid to have a “healthier police force” in the state. If found obese, the possible consequences may be serious for the cops. Three months later, in November, if they are still considered obese they will be made to take voluntary retirement.

Earlier this year, in May, Assam DGP G P Singh had announced the state police’s decision to professionally record the BMI of all personnel, including Indian Police Service (IPS) and Assam Police Service officers. Singh had said they would be given time till 15 August to get in shape, after which the measuring would begin.

On Wednesday, this exercise began with DGP Singh getting his BMI measured at the 4th Assam Police Battalion in Guwahati. Clocking a BMI of 25, he passed the test.

By the end of August, all police personnel will be similarly measured in 36 locations across Assam. Those who clock in a BMI of over 30 – which is classified as obese – will be sent for a “health camp” to the Police Training College in Dergaon.

Assam Police raising the bar (and the measuring tape)!

BMI testing of Police Personnel kicked off with the DGP Sh @gpsinghips being the first.

Time to ensure fitness goals and serve justice with a side of healthiness! @DGPAssamPolice @HardiSpeaks pic.twitter.com/Zm39Pe0tM1

— Assam Police (@assampolice) August 16, 2023

“There will be nutritionists and doctors from the government there. They will be there for between one month to three months, depending on who needs how much intervention. We will try to bring them below 30 and I think we will be 100% successful in that because there will be physical exercises and we will do quality control of the food,” Singh said.

The Assam police announced that three months after the conclusion of this exercise, another round of measurements will be held in November. Those who continue to be in the “obese” category will be offered retirement under the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS), except those who have “genuine medical grounds like thyroidism”.

The announcement of this drive followed a virtual conference conducted last month with senior officials at which Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had stressed the importance of physical fitness of police personnel and had directed the state police leadership to “cut deadwood from the force”.

“The main aim is to make the police healthier and create a stronger police force because we are regularly seeing among police personnel that after crossing a certain age, they develop many health problems,” Singh said.

He elaborated that the Assam Police has created an electronic database of all its personnel where BMI has been added as a header along with other basic information such as date of birth and year of joining service. He said the aim is to introduce spot tests for blood pressure and sugar level along with BMI measurement next year and maintain a record of these health parameters as well.

Former Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay said that “any encouragement to improve health and fitness levels is welcome”.

But, another former police chief added that putting personnel’s jobs on the line makes this a sensitive issue. The current police leadership is looking at making its conditions more stringent in future years, by bringing the cut-off lower.