Mahila police volunteers should have no political affiliation, says WCD ministry

The Government plans to introduce the concept of a ‘Mahila Police Volunteer’ (MPV) - “with no political affiliation” - deputed in every village to address the issue of security of women. Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi said that a ‘Mahila Police Volunteer’ (MPV) will be a must for every village across the country. 

The Special Protection Officer, called MPV, will be a woman of more than 21 years’ old with no political affiliation and a minimum qualification of 12th standard. Speaking to Millennium Post, Maneka explained, “There are important initiatives undertaken by the ministry when it comes to women being a part of the police force and women’s safety. Firstly, the need to have 33 per cent reservation for women in the police force, secondly what we are working on now is the need to appoint a special ‘Mahila’ protection officer to be deputed in every village.”

The idea has been proposed by the Women and Child Development Ministry, which is working in collaboration with the Home Ministry, and the focus of the initiative, is to establish a connection between police and women in distress. Regarding the concept, an official from WCD ministry explained, “The home ministry has agreed in principle to this concept. After a consultation with police officers which Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has organized, we will go ahead with the initiative. We have already sent a revised note to the Home Ministry on the concept. Once that concept comes through and is approved, we will start work on it extensively.”

There have been consultations between the WCD Ministry and the Home Ministry to finalise the guidelines regarding the appointment of MPVs in the state police forces. “The primary aim of this initiative is to empower women. The entire concept will be to revolutionize the idea of women security in the country,” said a WCD official. The MPVs will be provided training in counseling and legal literacy by the ministry. The WCD Ministry has also asked all states and union territories to give feedback and suggestions regarding this scheme.

“The idea is to appoint MPVs in each village. The volunteer will play a crucial role in creating community awareness to address issues related to crime against women, missing children, trafficking of children, child marriage, dowry harassment and any other form of violence faced by women in both public and private spaces. The volunteer will act vigilantly by informing police about these cases. They will be actively involved in spreading awareness about services including women, police and children helpline numbers to the community,” added the official.