Government to hire over 11,000 women in central police forces

Over 11,000 women will soon be recruited in central security forces for combat duties like border guarding and law and order assignments.

The government has taken this decision to enhance representation of women in these forces.

It has already set in motion its plan to hire 8,533 women constables in paramilitary forces like CRPF, BSF, CISF and ITBP after it recently announced one of its biggest recruitment drives to hire over 62,000 young men and women as constables this year.

Also, sanctions have been granted by the Union Home Ministry for raising 21 new companies or a total of 2,772 women personnel in the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) which guards open Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan by 2017.

"The recruitments are being done to take the representation of women in central forces to at least 5 % of the total strength in the coming days. At present, women constitute about 2.15 % of the total strength of these forces," a senior officer said.

Under the mega drive to hire a young workforce for these forces, a special sanction has also been accorded to the CRPF to raise two exclusive 'Mahila' (women) battalions within its establishment to bolster the strength of the existing three such units.

The Home Ministry, the officer said, has made its policy clear that women personnel should be at least 5 % of the total strength of these forces and this could only be done after conducting fresh hirings. 

While in border guarding forces like BSF, ITBP and SSB, the women personnel are being actively deployed to undertake patrols at frontier locations, they are also deputed to guard the crossing gates at international borders like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal as forces they are deployed to interrogate and escort female apprehendees.

"The CRPF has tasked its women units with rendering extensive law and order duties apart from their recent and small-scale induction in anti-Naxal operations theatre in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. They are also being increasingly deployed for static guard duties and escorting pilgrims of Mansarovar and Amarnathji yatras," the officer said.

At present the maximum women personnel are in CISF at 4.89 % of the total strength (6,203), CRPF 2.13 % (6,120), ITBP 1.75 % (1,570), SSB 1.50 % (1,186) and BSF (3,534) 1.42 %.

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) will hold a three- tier examination for these posts with the stages being physical tests, written efficiency and medical tests.

Candidates, who have passed Class X and are between 18-23 years of age are eligible to apply for these posts.

The expected salary for those hired would be around Rs 20,200 apart from other salary benefits that the government extends to the Central Armed Police Forces.