33 pc quota for women in Gujarat police

In a landmark move, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel on Tuesday announced 33 per cent reservation for women in the police force.

Patel made the announcement during an interaction with the media after attending a passing out parade at Gujarat Police Academy.

“It is necessary to empower women for their uplift in society. My government has decided to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the police force. It will be implemented in all cadres,” Patel, the state’s first woman chief minister, said.

The decision is in keeping with the state government’s 100-day agenda for good governance, which ascribed top priority to women’s empowerment.

“Women have served in every position in the police force. When a mother has prepared herself to serve the society, state and the country, we have to provide them special training and special space,” said Patel.

The measures also included the expansion of Mahila Suraksha Samitis and self-defence training to 25,000 women under the Suraksha Setu Programme being run by the state police.

“Gujarat will be the first state in India to implement 33 per cent reservation for women in the police force,” state’s Director General of Police P C Thakur said.

The sanctioned posts in Gujarat Police is around 60,000, around 10,000 more than its present strength. There are around 2,500 policewomen in the state at present.

If the government manages to fill all 33 per cent posts for women against the sanctioned strength, the state would have around 19,800 women in the force.