Women Soldiers To Lead Security Along India-China LAC; ITBP To Deploy 10 All-Women Posts
ITBP would also keep working towards the goal of eradicating Naxalism from India by 2026. Image courtesy: RNA
In a significant leap toward expanding women’s role in India’s combat frontier, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has announced the creation of all-women forward posts across the India-China border. The initiative marks a major advancement in the armed forces’ ongoing integration of women into operational roles traditionally reserved for men.
Speaking at the ITBP’s 64th Raising Day Parade in Udhampur, Director General Praveen Kumar confirmed that women-exclusive posts will be established at 10 high-altitude locations along the 3,488-km frontier, from the Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Diphu La in Arunachal Pradesh.
The first two posts will come up at Lukung (Ladakh) and Thangi (Himachal Pradesh). The DG emphasised that ITBP women personnel “already stand shoulder to shoulder” with their male counterparts at forward deployments, and the creation of women-led posts is a natural extension of this operational capability.
ITBP all-women forward posts: How does it fit into forwardisation and modernisation plan?
The ITBP chief highlighted that the force has been working on a comprehensive forwardisation plan, raising the number of forward posts from 180 to 215. An additional 41 posts are being established to strengthen surveillance and border deterrence along sensitive stretches opposite China.
To support these frontline deployments, the ITBP is accelerating modernisation under four pillars including smart border technology, sustainable infrastructure, empowered human resources, and wider civil interface. ITBP DG noted that the aim was to make the ITBP “a fully modernised force in the near future”.
Recent years have also seen rapid improvements in forward-area infrastructure, including the use of logistics drones to deliver medicines and rations to remote high-altitude posts.
What does this mean for women in India’s Armed Forces?
The move aligns with a broader national trendm – women increasingly taking on roles in combat, frontline leadership, and high-risk operational duties across India’s security forces. From the Army’s women infantry platoons to naval warship deployments, the push reflects a decisive shift in India’s defence posture.
Just a few days back, the Border Security Force (BSF) launched its first all-women drone unit – the ‘Durga Drone Squadron’. The trailblazing unit is currently undergoing advanced training at the School of Drone Warfare (SDW) inside the BSF Academy in Gwalior.
DG Praveen Kumar noted that ITBP’s all-women posts will not only enhance operational diversity but also strengthen the force’s reach and supervision across the Himalayan frontier. With seven new battalions and a new sector headquarters already approved, women soldiers are set to play a central role in the next phase of Himalayan border security.
What about the ITBP’s internal and counter-naxal focus?
Reaffirming the ITBP’s mandate beyond the northern frontier, the DG said the force remains committed to Home Minister Amit Shah’s target of eliminating Naxalism by 2026. So far this year, the ITBP has killed four Naxals, captured 52 and secured the surrender of 206 in Chhattisgarh.
