Women in Military Police:
- The Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced the decision to induct women in Personnel Below Officer Rank, PBOR, role in Corps of Military Police.
- The women will be inducted in a graded manner to eventually comprise 20% of total Corps of Military Police.
- Accordingly, the Army chalked out induction of approximately 800 women in military police with a yearly intake of 52 personnel per year.
Military Police:
- Military Police are the corps responsible for the enforcing discipline and the maintenance of law and order in the military environment and for military purposes.
- The functions of the Military Police includes policing cantonments and Army establishments, preventing a breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.
Role of Women in Military Police:
- Investigation of offences such as rape, molestation, thefts etc.
- Military operations of nature where Army needs assistance from police organisations
- Assisting civil police/ administration for evacuation in forward villages during hostilities.
- Crowd control of refugees comprising women and children.
- Searching/ Frisking of women during cordon & search operations/ check posts.
- Ceremonial and Policing Duties
- Maintaining military discipline.
- Manning the Prisoner of War Camps.
The announcement is seen as a precursor for allowing the women in combat roles. Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had earlier said that the process to allow women in a combat role, currently, an exclusive domain of men was moving fast and initially, women will be recruited for positions in the military police.