Guwahati, Aug 17 (PTI): Assam DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh said the body mass index (BMI) test of all police personnel in the state for the second year began on Friday.
The number of personnel found in the obese category last year is expected to be lower in the current assessment, he said.
“The Assam Police BMI assessment for 2024 started at Guwahati today,” Singh posted on X, sharing photographs of personnel being screened.
After two phases of assessment in 2023, 1.6 per cent (1,223 out of 76,313) were in the obese category with a BMI score of 30 plus.
“We hope this figure would reduce significantly in the 2024 assessment. The process would be faster this year since the heights of most police personnel are pre-recorded from last year’s data and only weight needs to be recorded this year,” the DGP said.
The DGP said his BMI, which was 25.12 in 2023, has been recorded at 25.02 this year.
In a bid to ensure a professional outfit, the force had begun an ambitious BMI test of all police personnel from August 16 last year with the DGP taking the screening assessment first.
BMI is a measurement of a person’s weight with respect to his or her height.
According to the World Health Organization, a BMI over 25 is considered overweight and over 30 is obese.
The DGP had earlier said that all those who would not be able to reduce their weight by the end of the stipulated period would be offered a voluntary retirement option, except for those who have genuine medical reasons like thyroidism.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had previously advocated removing the ‘dead wood’ from the police — habitual drinkers, those with extreme obesity and with charges of corruption — to turn the force into a responsive and action-oriented one.
