The Union Cabinet on Friday approved 33 per cent reservation for women in the police force. This reservation will be applicable for direct recruitments in non-gazetted posts from Constables to Sub-Inspector in the police forces of all Union Territories. The decision will help in increasing the representation of women in police forces around the country, besides making the police force more gender-sensitive. A Government note said that this will instil confidence among women and encourage them to approach the police without hesitation for seeking protection and assistance.
Suitable enabling provisions in the Recruitment Rules will be made so that reservation can be provided to women against all such vacancies existing on the date of issue of the order after Cabinet approval and vacancies arising thereafter. With the police being the first line of interface between citizens and the law enforcement machinery, it was observed that many women do not approach the police as they fear they might have to report the incident to a male police officer, particularly in sex related crimes. Besides, amendments based on the Justice Verma Committee Report specifically have provisions that make it mandatory for reports of crimes against women and their statements to be collected by women police officers or women officers only.
In another decision, the Cabinet gave its approval for the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana with an outlay of Rs1,500 crore. This will be the flagship scheme for skill training of youth to be implemented by the new Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship through the National Skill Development Corporation. The scheme will cover 24 lakh people.
The Cabinet also approved introduction of Appropriation Acts (Repeal) Bill, 2015 in Parliament in order to repeal 758 Appropriation Acts, including Appropriation (Railways) Acts and 111 State Appropriation Acts enacted by Parliament from 1950 to 1976. This is in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to bring reforms in the country’s legal system, so as to make it more accessible to the common man.