Delhi Police recently drew a lot of attention for appointing six women DCPs in the capital city. This is the first time that out of 15 districts in the national capital six are being manned by lady IPS officers. With the stereotypical image of a woman staying at home, cooking meals, and taking care of her family, being rejected in accordance with the rejection of gender-specific roles, women are increasingly being accepted into hitherto male-dominated domains. The Supreme Court’s directive on allowing women to sit for NDA exams is a case in point. Hence, this decision of the Delhi Police to appoint six accomplished policewomen as DCPs has come at the right time. In conversation with Indian Masterminds, Public Relations Officer of Delhi Police, IPS Chinmoy Biswal talks about this newest step of Delhi Police.
NOW POLICEWOMEN WANT TO BE WHERE THE ACTION IS
Women IPS officers are often in news in the country for their accomplishments, be it chasing extremists or criminals. While earlier, policewomen used to mostly prefer office jobs, the present bunch of officers now wants to be on the field, giving criminals a tough time. Six women IPS officers manning six important districts as DCPs is in tune with this trend. It also proves that women have a strong presence in the police force now.
“This step shows the presence of a large number of women officers in Delhi Police. In general, the percentage of women IPS officers in India is going up. There were a number of deserving women in our police department, and as the requirement of DCPs arose in some districts, these women officers were given the postings by the Commissioner,” Mr. Biswal told Indian Masterminds.
A WOMAN CAN UNDERSTAND ANOTHER WOMAN BETTER
Out of the 15 districts in Delhi, six of them have women DCPs now. According to Mr. Biswal, the appointment of women DCPs has a positive impact on womenfolk in general. It helps in building police-public trust. It raises expectations that women can now trust the police more and go to them for the redressal of their problems without any hesitation. For a woman, approaching a policewoman has the advantage of being able to share grievances frankly with no holds barred.
“Also, it goes without saying that a woman can understand another woman’s problems better. The department is expecting that these women DCPs will be more sensitive towards women, children, and the weaker sections of the society, thus lifting up everyone’s spirits in the process,” he said.
THE SUPER SIX OF DELHI POLICE
2010 batch IPS officer Benita Marry Jaiker, who is DCP South, had this to say about her appointment: “I’m glad everyone is being given an equal opportunity. Officers of all genders are tested by the same exams and training. There was no disparity then, there should be none now. I hope I live up to expectations.”
Another 2010 batch IPS officer, Shweta Chauhan, who is DCP Central, is of the view that “it does not look like it is a man’s job anymore. When I saw the order, I felt the top leaders didn’t discriminate against women officers and gave postings based on merit and experience. It will be wonderful to see women leading six important districts. The public will appreciate the decision.”
2010 batch IPS officer Esha Pandey is DCP South-East, while IPS Usha Rangnani, IPS Urvija Goel, and IPS Priyanka Kashyap are CPs of Northwest, West, and East districts respectively.
