JOIN USThe government may talk tall about the efforts being made to increase the number of women in the police, but the numbers tell a different tale.
Women form a meagre 2.15 per cent of the country's 8.87-lakh-strong paramilitary forces.
Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said directions have been issued to the six forces to bring the ratio to 5 per cent, as directed by a Parliamentary committee. However, at present, there is no proposal to increase the ratio of women in the paramilitary forces to 33 per cent.
Of the total personnel, Rijiju said in a reply in Lok Sabha, only 19,098 are women. The CISF has the highest ratio of 4.89 per cent—6,203 out of 1.26 lakh, while the Assam Rifles has the least at 0.74 per cent—485 out of 65,609.
The CRPF, the country's largest paramilitary force, has 6,120 women—2.13 per cent—in its 2.86-lakh-strong force. The numbers in the other forces are dismal, with the SSB having 1,186, the ITBP 1,570 and the BSF 3,534 women personnel.
Rijiju said the government has taken steps to increase the numbers, including approving the recruitment of 2,772 women personnel in the SSB in the next four fiscals. The CRPF will also raise two women battalions.
The government has also formulated a 10-point plan to encourage women to join the paramilitary forces, which include exemption of application fee, and relaxation in Physical Standard Test and Physical Efficiency Test for all women candidates. The forces have provided crèches and day-care centres to women personnel, he said.
Paramilitary and women
Force Posted Women Per cent of
Strength women
* CRPF 2,86,892 6,120 2.13
* CISF 1,26,636 6,203 4.89
* SSB 79,049 1,186 1.5
* BSF 2,48,882 3,534 1.42
* ITBP 80,864 1,570 1.75
* Assam Rifles 65,609 485 0.74
* TOTAL 8,87,932 19,098 2.15