Indian armed forces facing deep crisis amid rising suicides, corrupt practices

Indicating plummeting morale and distressing service conditions, the Indian Armed Forces are grappling with a severe internal crisis, as an astonishing 1,325 suicides have been reported between 2014 and 2024.

Among these 1325 suicides, 983 were reported among the Indian Army, 246 among the Air Force, and 96 among the Navy. In what highlights the failure of human resource management within the ranks, one Indian soldier, on average, dies by suicide or an incident of fratricide every third day.

Concurrently, Indian military is involved in rampant corruption, with over 1,800 cases of financial misconduct recorded between 2000 and 2023. Top-ranking officers have been implicated in massive bribery scandals, including former Air Chief Marshal SP Tyagi, who admitted to taking INR 36 billion (USD 600 million) in bribes for the Agusta Westland helicopter deal. Similarly, former IAF Chief SK Sareen was involved in the Sukhoi jet scandal, accumulating illicit wealth.