Sunday, October 16 2005 17:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Manesar (Haryana): The Government intends to raise women's strength in the country's police forces to ten per cent, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said today (Oct 16, 2005).

The Minister told reporters after the NSG's 21st Raising Day celebrations that the Government was encouraging women to join police forces.

"We want to raise their (women's) strength in the police forces to 10 per cent," Patil said.

He, however, did not explain whether the Center was also coordinating with state governments over the matter.

Currently, the total strength of women in police forces across the country is estimated to be less than two per cent, a Home Ministry official said.

In the Central police forces, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has two women battalions, with the Rapid Action Force also having a small women component.

There is no separate women battalion in the Border Security Force (BSF), the ITBP and the Sashastra Seema Bal, the official said. For the first time in the country, the NSG has created a 12-member women unit of Black Cat commandos.

The 12 members of the squad are likely to provide protection to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Chief Mayawati, both of whom enjoy category security.

The commandos, drawn from the CRPF, have undergone rigorous training at the NSG's training center here.