Lok Sabha Question No. 360 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-01
Subject: Recruitment of Women in Police
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: POONAM  MAHAJAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.360

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 01ST DECEMBER, 2015/ AGRAHAYANA 10, 1937 (SAKA)

RECRUITMENT OF WOMEN IN POLICE

360.  SHRIMATI POONAM MAHAJAN:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether several States have an affirmative action programme in place to ensure recruitment of women as police personnel in the country;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  the  names  of  States  that  adopted  the said programme and the percentage of women personnel in each State police force, Statewise;
- (c)  whether  affirmative  action  has  enhanced  the  presence  of  women  in  the police force and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the action taken by the Government to ensure gender parity in police force thereby making it more representative and raising the quality of policing; and
- (e) whether the Government is considering to initiate changes in retention and promotion policies to make policing an attractive career option for women and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI HARIBHAI PARATHIBHAI CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (e): 'Public Order' and 'Police' are 'State subjects' as per entry 2 of the list  II  of  the  VII  schedule  of  the  constitution  of  India.  Therefore,  it  is  the responsibility of the State Governments/UTs administration to give adequate representation to women in the State Police Forces.

The  Centre  advises  the  States  from  time  to  time  to  bring  in  requisite reforms in the police administration. Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an advisory  dated  04.09.2009  and  22.04.2013  to  all  State/UTs  Governments  to increase  of  women  police  to  33%  of  the  total  strength.  The  percentage  of Women Police personnel in States/UTs Police Force is annexed.

All  the  State  Governments  have  been  requested  to  create  additional posts  of  women  constable/Sis  by  converting  the  vacant  posts  of  male constables into the posts of women constables. It has also been aimed that each  police  station  should  have  at  least  3  women  sub-inspectors  and  10 women police constables, so that  a women help desk is manned round the clock. The combined efforts of the Central and various State Government/UTs are encouraging and the percentage of women police personnel is increasing gradually.

The Parliamentary 'Committee on Empowerment of Women' has stressed to make presence of women police personnel more visible vis-à-vis their male counterparts so that the gender issues at the local level are addressed more emphatically.  Apart  from  adequate  representations  of  women,  efforts  are made  to  improve  the  working  conditions  at  their  working  place  to  attract more  women  to  join  police  forces.  An  advisory  had  also  been  issued  on 21.5.2014  to  evolve  a  uniform  policy  for  establishing  facilities  at  the  work place so as to mitigate the problems faced by them during the long working hours.

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## Page 1 of 1 Annexure-I LSUS QNo. 360 for 01.12.2015

## PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN IN POLICE STATES/UTs AS ON 1.1.2014

| S.No   | States/UTs        |   Percentage |
|--------|-------------------|--------------|
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh    |         4.33 |
| 2      | Arunachal Pradesh |         5.17 |
| 3      | Assam             |         0.93 |
| 4      | Bihar             |         3.4  |
| 5      | Chhattisgarh      |         4.29 |
| 6      | Goa               |         6.18 |
| 7      | Gujarat           |         3.64 |
| 8      | Haryana           |         6.65 |
| 9      | Himachal Pradesh  |        11.07 |
| 10     | Jammu & Kashmir   |         3.12 |
| 11     | Jharkhand         |         5.15 |
| 12     | Karnataka         |         5.11 |
| 13     | Kerala            |         6.42 |
| 14     | Madhya Pradesh    |         4.82 |
| 15     | Maharashtra       |        10.48 |
| 16     | Manipur           |         8.22 |
| 17     | Meghalaya         |         2.87 |
| 18     | Mizoram           |         5.74 |
| 19     | Nagaland          |         1.05 |
| 20     | Odisha            |         8.52 |
| 21     | Punjab            |         6.44 |
| 22     | Rajasthan         |         7.11 |
| 23     | Sikkim            |         7.78 |
| 24     | Tamil Nadu        |        12.42 |
| 25     | Tripura           |         3.29 |
| 26     | Uttar Pradesh     |         4.29 |
| 27     | Uttarakhand       |         8.4  |
| 28     | West Bengal       |         4.77 |
| 29     | A & N Islands     |        11.27 |
| 30     | Chandigarh        |        14.16 |
| 31     | D & N Haveli      |         9.96 |
| 32     | Daman & Diu       |         9.12 |
| 33     | Delhi             |         7.15 |
| 34     | Lakshadweep       |         6.06 |
| 35     | Puducherry        |         5.25 |
|        | All India Total   |         6.11 |

Sources: BPR&D