New Delhi: With the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reminder coming to them, most of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have begun the process of firming up their views to change the recruitment rules for intake of transgender candidates in the officer’s ranks, as CRPF and BSF have already agreed to the proposal.
A senior official in Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the largest among the paramilitary outfit, said, “We fully value the spirit of the order of the Supreme Court on transgender. We already have a gender neutral work environment. In view of the impending policy guidelines of the MHA, we shall make it further compatible as per the need.”
Similarly, in Border Security Force (BSF) an official said, the security outfit has already communicated their consent for recruiting transgender candidates in its ranks at the officer level (Assistant Commandant-AC). “The consent was sent soon after receiving the communication from the MHA around 2019 yearend,” he said.
Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) have already put in place the process of firming their opinion. The two forces have written to their field formations to elicit their opinion on the issue of transgender recruitment.
“All the border guarding forces are by and large have in principle, agreed to the proposal and are in the process of finalising their respective formats to recruit transgender candidates in their ranks at officer level,” said a senior MHA official.
BSF guards India’s border with Pakistan and Bangladesh, whereas ITBP has been assigned the borders with China. SSB is manning India’s border with Nepal and Bhutan. The CRPF, the largest among the forces, is mostly engaged in anti-terror, anti-naxal and anti-insurgency activities, besides normal law & order duties.
In a communication to the CAPFs, the MHA) has sought their views to give their opinions for incorporating ‘Third Gender’ along with Male/Female sections for CAPF (AC) Examination 2020.
In the reminder letter the MHA has asked them to furnish their views at earliest so that the final decision on this issue can be taken soon to recruit transgender candidates at the level of Assistant Commandant.
