Let us take a look at the group of 100 young Indian women who are set to be inducted into the Indian Army in May as the country’s first Women Military Police.
- The first batch of women Military Police recruits trained at Corps of Military Police Centre and School, Bangalore.
- The women recruits are given training comprising Basic Military Training and Advanced Provost Training in Bengaluru.
- Between 19 and 22 years of age, this batch comprises the top 100 selectees out of two lakh applicants across the country, explained Lt-Colonel Julee, who is in charge of the training of the cadets.
- According to information from the Army, 21 are graduates with college degrees and 51 have experience in the military system, having been members of the National Cadet Corps (NCC).
- Their presence has shaken up and challenged the largely male-dominated Army establishment. The precedent they have set creates opportunities for employment for women from agrarian backgrounds and lower economic strata.
- That these women did not come from well-to-backgrounds was apparent that many in the batch were anemic when they joined, said Major Richa Chakravorty, the medical officer in charge of the training unit.
- The sense of giving back to the community was a common theme among the young women recruits.
- According to the Army, only three of 100 had previous experience in driving four-wheeled vehicles before joining the Army, while 41 had previously ridden motorcycles.
- Their hair trimmed short, many of the young women were almost indistinguishable from their male counterparts, barring some difference in height.
- Cadets have to be a minimum of 152 cm in height and during selection, have to fulfill a series of physical demands, like running for 1.6 kilometers.
- The Army stresses that physical training requirements have only been slightly nudged down for women and that the training regimen between the two sexes is the same.
- The salary of Sepoys is about Rs 30,000, out of which Rs 22,000 is the basic pay.
