Sri Vijaya Puram, Aug 31: Keen to engage women personnel in frontline operational roles, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) is set to induct it’s first-ever all-women commando team into core operations.
Likely to be deployed at airports and other sensitive installations after training, around 100 women CISF personnel will be imparted wide-ranging operational skills. These include physical fitness, weapons training, live-fire drills under stress, endurance-building exercises such as running and obstacle courses, rappelling, survival training in forests, and a 48-hour confidence-building exercise designed to test decision-making and teamwork under adverse conditions.
Breaking Barriers
In the initial phase, at least 100 women from different Aviation Security Groups (ASGs) and sensitive CISF units will complete the programme. A CISF spokesperson said the force is committed to making such all-women courses a regular part of its training calendar.
The training of women commandos has already begun at the Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Barwaha, Madhya Pradesh. The eight-week advanced commando course will prepare women personnel for duties with Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) and Special Task Forces (STF) at high-security establishments and plants.
“Inclusion of women in core operational capabilities has moved the force a step closer towards gender parity and opened a new space on the operational front, which was previously dominated only by men,” said the spokesperson.
The first batch of 30 women, currently deployed across various airports, will undergo training from August 11 to October 4, 2025, followed by a second batch from October 6 to November 29, 2025.
The CISF is also increasing women’s recruitment to achieve the Union Home Ministry’s target of 10% representation in the force.
