Delhi Police on Thursday recruited 1,434 women as constables on fast-track mode. This will enhance representation of women in the force from 7.18 per cent to 8.9 per cent.

Delhi Police have a total strength of over 80,000 personnel. The recruits include 30 postgraduates and 336 graduates.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that women will constitute one-third of the Delhi Police force. “We have decided to increase the number of women personnel in Delhi Police to one-third. Our effort is also to increase women personnel in state police and central police forces to one-third,” Singh had said during Question Hour.

After the December 16 gang-rape, 776 posts of women constables were sanctioned by the Union Home Ministry and 522 posts of male constables were converted into women constable.

Delhi Police had immediately issued advertisements on an all-India basis. The Physical Endurance and Physical Measurement Test was conducted at 10 locations: Thiruvananthapuram, Nagpur, Guwahati, Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi. 

Altogether, 6,058 candidates qualified in the PEMT. A written test was conducted on July 7 and 1,434 candidates were selected as woman constable (executive). These 1,434 posts, include 136 vacancies on account of retirement and promotion in the women cadre. An additional list of 72 candidates has also been declared in case if a candidate does not join from the main list.

“This has been done in order to ensure that the post in the cadre should not remain vacant on account of non-joining of selected candidates. The candidates are being informed individually and being called for medical examination and police verification of character and antecedents,” said an officer.