New Delhi: The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have recorded a substantial rise in the recruitment of women personnel, underscoring the government’s ongoing push to improve gender representation and strengthen workplace conditions for women in uniform, the Union Home ministry said on Wednesday.
Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said that the Centre’s 2016 decision to reserve 33 per cent of constable-level posts for women in the CRPF and 14–15 per cent in border guarding forces such as the BSF, SSB and ITBP is showing steady results.
According to official data, 3,239 women were recruited across four CAPFs in 2024–25. The BSF accounted for the highest intake with 1,680 personnel, followed by the ITBP with 1,093, the CRPF with 294 and the SSB with 172. For 2025–26, the government has set an enhanced target of 5,171 posts exclusively for women candidates.
Rai said that the government has implemented a series of measures to ensure a safe, gender-sensitive and supportive work environment for women personnel. These include separate living quarters, restrooms, changing facilities and dedicated toilets; along with crèches and daycare centres for children. Women-focused medical services, confidential mechanisms for reporting sexual harassment and functional Women Help Desks have also been introduced.
He added that regular gender-sensitisation workshops are held across formations, and deployment norms ensure women personnel operate either in section strength or in buddy pairs for safety during field duties. Wherever operationally feasible, flexible duty hours and shift systems are being adopted.
The Home ministry told the House that these steps are intended to create a “conducive, enabling atmosphere” for women in all CAPFs, equipping them professionally and psychologically for future responsibilities.