The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), entrusted with guarding the challenging 3,488-km long India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC), is establishing 10 all-women Border Outposts (BOPs) along this harsh and icy frontier.

This initiative forms part of the force's wider forwardisation plan, launched after the 2020 military clashes in Ladakh, aimed at strengthening India's northern and eastern frontiers. The plan has already moved 215 forward-deployed border posts, up from 180, significantly enhancing frontier security and operational reach.

The ITBP Director General, Praveen Kumar, announced this development during the force's 64th Raising Day parade held in Jammu. Among the new all-women posts, two will be set up in Ladakh's Lukung and Himachal Pradesh's Thangi, with eight more to follow in strategic locations along the LAC. 

The deployment of women combatants in these frontline posts highlights the force's commitment to empowering women soldiers to stand shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts.

This expansion is supported by the creation of seven new battalions and a sector headquarters, sanctioned in 2023, which together add about 9,400 personnel to the ITBP. These resources have bolstered the forwardisation plan, enhancing supervision and security in the forward areas.

Furthermore, the ITBP plans to establish 41 more forward bases along the LAC, reinforcing security and coordination efforts amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.

The ITBP has also reorganised its training institutions, launching five new skilling modules focused on mountain warfare, tactical survival, and other critical skills required for operation at altitudes ranging between 9,000 to over 14,000 feet. These posts endure severe weather conditions and the challenges posed by low oxygen levels, making specialised training indispensable.

With a strength exceeding one lakh personnel, the ITBP functions under the Union Home Ministry and continues to modernise with an emphasis on smart border technology, sustainable infrastructure, empowered human resources, and comprehensive civil interface to ensure robust border management in one of the most sensitive borders of India.​

Based On PTI Report