NEW DELHI, Nov 12: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Tuesday approved the first all-women battalion of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).
Presently, there are 7% women personnel in the CISF, which has a total strength of 1.77 lakh personnel. A battalion comprises around 1,000 personnel.
“The CISF has started preparations for the early recruitment, training and selection of location for the headquarters of the new Battalion. The training is being specially designed to create an elite battalion capable of performing multifarious role as commandos in VIP security and also security of airports, Delhi Metro and Railways,” the CISF said.
The proposal for creation of an all-women battalion in the CISF was initiated in pursuance of the direction of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the occasion of 53rd CISF Day function.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also indicated last year that his government was committed to increasing strength of women in armed forces. “Today, India is setting bigger targets for itself and is utilising its full potential to achieve those targets,” Mr Modi had said speaking in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district on the Konkan coast, on the occasion of Navy Day in December, last year.
(Manas Dasgupta)