CM Yogi pushes for immediate hiring, reforms for home guards | Lucknow News

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday directed the immediate commencement of recruitment to fill vacant posts of home guards in Uttar Pradesh. Emphasising the changing needs and expanding responsibilities of the force, he called for amendments to the existing recruitment rules.Adityanath also instructed the formation of a new board, supported by the Police Recruitment and Training Board, to ensure a timely and fair enrolment process. Presiding over a high-level meeting on Thursday, the CM lauded the exemplary role of home guard volunteers in maintaining law and order, managing traffic, and handling disaster situations. Officials reported that there are currently 71,155 active home guards in the state, against a sanctioned strength of 1,18,348. They noted that nearly 38,000 volunteers are expected to retire over the next decade, with more than 51% of the current force aged 50 years or older. To enhance opportunities for youth and improve the efficiency of the force, the CM directed reforms in eligibility and selection processes. He suggested setting the maximum age limit for recruitment at 30 years to infuse youthful energy into the organisation. Additionally, he emphasised the importance of making written examinations mandatory, updating eligibility criteria, and enhancing the evaluation system. “Priority should be given to candidates with disaster management training or experience,” he stated. The CM instructed officials to develop a new recruitment system promptly, expressing confidence that the initiative would transform the home guards into a more skilled, capable and service-oriented force. During the meeting, departmental officials stated that home guard services are currently utilised across several sectors, including police administration, traffic regulation, educational institutions, healthcare, transport, mining, urban local bodies, Doordarshan, Akashvani, FCI, and development authorities. The force has also made significant contributions during the recent Lok Sabha and assembly elections, election duties in other states, and major events such as Maha Kumbh-2025. It was further highlighted that all departmental processes have now been fully digitised. Key functions such as duty allocation, allowance disbursal, ex gratia, and pension have been shifted online, while initiatives like the Home Guard Mitra App have significantly improved efficiency and transparency. To enhance capacity building, a central training institute and twelve divisional training centres are operational, providing both basic and advanced training to more than 15,000 volunteers each year. Yogi said with the implementation of the new recruitment system, the home guard force will emerge more professional, disciplined, and fully dedicated to public service.