CRPF May Induct Women Into Jungle Commando Force

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) may induct women into its jungle warfare commando wing, the Director General (DG) said Thursday. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Dr AP Maheshwari, CRPF DG, said the armed force is considering the recruitment of women officers into the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA)'s anti-Naxal wing. 

News agency ANI quoted Dr Maheshwari saying, "We are inducting women warriors in the CoBRA force, the anti-Naxal wing." He also said the CRPF has "relocated and repurposed people who are physically disabled now," so they can continue to contribute while "maintaining their dignity." COBRA is the unit under CRPF trained in guerrilla tactics to combat Naxal violence. 

We are inducting women warriors in the CoBRA force, the anti-Naxal wing: DG CRPF, Dr AP Maheshwari pic.twitter.com/NSsHPEOzzA

— ANI (@ANI) January 21, 2021

Women In The CRPF 

PTI states that women have been a part of CRPF combat since 1986 through the 'Mahila' battalion. There are six such units currently. In 2016, for the first time ever, CRPF was termed to position as many as over 560 women commandos of the 232 Mahila Battalion on the frontlines against Naxal operations. Read about it here.

Then in 2018, the force deployed over 500 women officials to Jammu and Kashmir to counter violence and incidents of stone-pelting. Further, the same year CRPF inducted its women personnel in Bhopal, Indore, and Ujjain to help police maintain law and order during elections.

Menstrual Facilities For CRPF Personnel

In a move widely hailed inclusive, in 2016 the government sanctioned funds to CRPF to install around 500 sanitary pad dispensers and incinerators for the women personnel in combat. 

“The sanction will help the force in ensuring better living and operating conditions for the over 8,000 women personnel who are in combat. The women troops are deployed across the country for rendering law and order duties, anti-Naxal operations and other operational tasks that are rendered by men personnel,” CRPF spokesperson had said.