Parliamentary Panel Expresses Disappointment Over Abysmal Low Women Representation In CAPF
New Delhi, March 14: A parliamentary panel on Monday expressed its disappointment over less representation of women in CAPF (Central Armed Police Forces). “The Committee is disappointed to note that women constitute only 3.68% of the total strength of CAPFs,” according to 238th Report on Demands for Grants Allocations, Projections and Variations (2022-23) of Ministry of Home Affairs by the parliamentary panel. “The Committee observes that in 2016, it was decided by the government to reserve 33% posts at Constable level for being filled by women in CRPF and CISF, to begin with and 14-15% posts at Constable level in border guarding forces i.e. BSF, SSB & ITBP.
The Committee recommends that MHA should take concrete steps to increase the representation of women in CAPFs,” the report said. Suggesting the steps to increase the representation of women in CAPF, the parliamentary committee said that phase-wise recruitment drives for women may be conducted on a fast track, particularly, in CISF and CRPF.
“The Committee further recommended that steps should be taken to create a conducive environment in the border outposts by creating separate arrangements so that the women are motivated to join security forces,” it added. Meanwhile, the panel also took note of the attrition and suicides among CAPF personnel. The parliamentary committee noted the prolonged deployment of jawans in harsh conditions as a major trigger among the personnel attempting suicide. The panel suggested a rotational policy for deployment of jawans and as well as steps to promote the wellbeing of the personnel as measures.
“The committee observed that the major reasons for high attrition in CAPFs is the continuous and prolonged deployment of jawans in harsh conditions that keeps them far away from home for longer periods. The Committee, therefore, recommends that the MHA may take up with CAPFs to devise a rotation policy of deployment so that the jawans do not stay in hard and inhospitable areas/terrain for prolonged periods. Efforts should also be made to fix the working hours of the jawans besides Yoga classes and counselling sessions to improve their mental and emotional well being,” it said in the report. UNI
