SunstarTV Bureau: The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) plans to deploy double women’s contingent along the sensitive India-China border, the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and Northeast, informed a senior ITBP official.
“We have proposed to double the women’s contingent along the sensitive India-China border. At present we have 500 women troops mainly deployed along the LAC in Ladakh and the Northeast,” said the senior ITBP official.
According to sources, since May last year, the skirmish between India and China has been commenced in a border standoff in eastern Ladakh. Meanwhile, on February 10, under the disengagement process India and China have moved back from their positions on the Pangong Lake’s north and south banks, with the Indian withdrawal taking place entirely across India-claimed territory.
However, the Chinese troop is said to have strengthened its position at Ladakh’s Depsang Plains, where the Chinese are entrenched 18km inside India-claimed lines.
Notably, for the first time in 2019, women’s contingent comprising 500 troops of the ITBP broke the glass ceiling and were deployed in the high-altitude border outposts along the Indo-China border in the treacherous terrain after completing 44 weeks of training in battle craft and mountain survival. Like their male counterparts, they had undergone grueling drills and learnt to handle weapons, read maps, gather intelligence and were trained in commando tactics.
Earlier, women in the paramilitary force were deployed for maintaining law and order and VIP duties and were also posted at the cantonments and hospitals.
Sources said the total number of women troops in ITBP was 2,000, mostly constables, head constables, sub-inspectors and inspectors.
“We are now also planning to recruit women officers in the ITBP in supervisory and combat roles. A proposal for recruitment of officers in the rank of commandants and assistant commandants has been sent to the Union home ministry,” said another ITBP official.
