Parliamentary panel asks MHA to increase women in Delhi Police to 33%

NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has found that women personnel constitute only a little over 9 per cent of the Delhi Police force and asked the Home Ministry to ensure that their numbers are enhanced and reaches up to 33 per cent.

The department related parliamentary standing committee on Home Affairs said that the set objective of enhancing the representation of the women in Delhi Police to 33 per cent should be achieved within a time-frame.

"The committee notes that as on date, the representation of women in Delhi Police is 9.27 per cent only.

"However, on March 20, 2015, Government of India has approved reservation of 33 per cent for women horizontally and in each category (SC, ST, OBC and others) in direct recruitment in non-gazetted posts from constable to sub- inspector in the police forces of all Union Territories, including Delhi Police," the Committee observed.

The panel noted the steps taken by Delhi Police in the post December, 2012, Delhi gangrape phase to curb crimes against women, including instilling confidence in girls through various gender sensitisation programmes and propagating fear of the law among sexual offenders.

"However, the incidents of crimes against women have a disheartening trend, be it incident of recent murder case of Anand Parvat or alleged molestation of American citizen. The Committee, therefore, feels that there is a need for sensitisation programmes on behaviour towards women," it said.

The Standing Committee, meanwhile, also said that Delhi Police must ensure, through the education department of Delhi government, that all schools designate one teacher as road safety coordinator so that regular road safety programmes are organised for raising awareness among children in this regard.