A freshly-trained contingent of 500 women personnel, which will be the first 'mahila' squad to be deployed in high-altitude posts along the India-China border, was on Friday commissioned into the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Panchkula.
The women, in the rank of constable, were inducted in the border-guarding force after 44-weeks of training in battle craft and mountain survival and will now be sent to frontier areas for final acclimatisation before being deployed at ITBP posts along the Sino-India Line of Actual Control (LAC).
These 'mahila' contingents are expected to be posted by March 2016 at about 20 forward locations of the ITBP.
"You will be further trained in field training and high-altitude acclimatisation before your final deployment. I am sure you will do the country and the force proud," ITBP Director-General Krishna Chaudhary said after taking the salute at the Basic Training Centre of the force at Bhanu in Panchkula.
This is the first time that India is deploying women troops right at the front, one which is considered to be the most arduous and tricky given the harsh climatic conditions and extreme mountainous terrain along the India-China border.
The force plans to have women personnel make up at least 40 per cent of its strength at these forward posts.
