Sajitha From Thrissur Becomes Kerala’s First Woman Excise Inspector

Sajitha O from Thrissur has scripted history by becoming the first woman Excise Inspector in Kerala, a local news platform Mathrubhumi first reported. Her appointment was announced on Tuesday as she took charge of the Circle Office as an Excise Inspector. Prior to this, Sajitha was a Civil Excise Officer in Thrissur for the past five years. An Excise Inspector is allotted for field or desk duties.

Prior to joining the excise department, Sajitha served in different regions and has experience in working with civil officers in Kolazhy, Thrissur, and Wadakkanchery. She expressed that it has been a "great experience" so far.

“Through a new provision introduced by the government, women civil excise officers in the state had a chance to attain the post of Excise Inspector through a test. I secured a high score in the test. Like me, many women will soon join the higher ranks of the department,” Sajitha told The New Indian Express.

What You Should Know

• Sajitha of Thrissur has become the first woman Excise Inspector in Kerala
• She completed her training from Thrissur Excise Academy.
• She scored the highest marks among others in the test, and thus was appointed as an Inspector.

Sajitha is married to Aji K G from Chuduvalathur in Shoranur. The couple has a daughter who studies in the seventh standard.

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Condition of women in the police force

Compared to their male counterparts, women officers make up for a small portion in the high-ranking positions in the forces. Even though women officers have done exceedingly well in the past, the number is not satisfying.

As of January 2017, only 6.3 percent of women are registered as police personnel in Kerala. Women comprised a mere 2.1 percent of its police officers, according to the India Justice Report released by Tata Trusts, a philanthropic body, in November 2019. This data highlights the imbalance in the state's police department.

Kerala is a home of India’s first women police station located in Kozhikode (established in 1973). But it was only recently in May 2020 when R Sreelekha, the first woman IPS officer in the State, became the state's first Director Generals of Police (DGP). She joined the force in 1987 and thirty years later Sreelekha is the first woman officer to be elevated as a DGP and is due for retirement in December.

Another IPS officer, Merin Joseph made headlines last year when she went to Saudi Arabia and managed to extradite a child-rape accused.

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Recently, Kerala also deployed bike-patrolling units of women officers across the state to fight against the coronavirus outbreak. The state has been seeing a squad of women cops on bikes to “guard the quarantine centres, enforcing lockdown restrictions and punishing the violators of social distancing,” according to Hindustan Times.

Many special forces comprised of women cops and women officers have been deployed in the state. A force of change is noticed but the numbers are still low as compared to other states.

Feature Image Credit: Vanitha.in

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