Soft Postings for Women and Transgender Quota in CAPF?

The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) has a notably low representation of women, prompting a parliamentary committee to urge the Union Home Ministry to actively promote female participation in the services. Furthermore, a recommendation was made to introduce reservations for transgenders.

In its most recent document, the committee suggested considering a policy that allows for more accommodating assignments for female officers rather than exposing them to particularly challenging work environments.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law, and Justice, chaired by BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi, disclosed that as of September 30, 2022, women made up just 3.76% of personnel in the CAPFs and Assam Rifles.

Stressing on the need to augment the number of women in the forces, the committee stated in its 131st report that a major deterrent for women is the tough landscapes and demanding conditions they may encounter. Consequently, it proposed a policy that favors milder postings for women officers, except in dire situations such as wars or insurgencies where there’s a pronounced shortage of men available for deployment.

In its report, the committee also emphasized the importance of inclusivity by suggesting a reservation for transgenders, aiming to facilitate their seamless integration into mainstream society.

Highlighting the concerning data, the committee reported that only 3.65% of available positions for women in central forces have been occupied to date. The representation of women stands at about 14-15% in the BSF (Border Security Force) and SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal), 6.35% in the CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), and a mere 2.83% in the ITBP (Indo Tibetan Border Police).

The report, presented in Parliament, underscored the challenges preventing women from joining the forces and noted the absence of a specific reservation for women within the CAPFs.