India, July 29 -- The government on Tuesday unveiled a policy reform for Indian Coast Guard, which will allow induction of women candidates into permanent appointments "at par with their male counterparts" and posting of women personnel aboard ICG ships in key roles, officials said. The defence ministry also launched another policy reform that allows for declaring an ICG officer missing at sea while on duty as "presumed dead" for the purpose of ex gratia. At an event held at Kartavya Bhavan-2 here, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh unveiled the two significant policy reforms for the ICG to promote "gender parity" in the induction and service conditions of officers, and streamlining

the administrative procedures for granting ex gratia to the families of personnel reported missing at sea while on duty, the defence ministry said in a statement. The first policy directive establishes a comprehensive, women-centric approach by ushering in a gender-neutral framework for the induction of officers into the Coast Guard, it said. The highlights of the policy include induction of women candidates into both Short Service Appointments (SSA) and Permanent Appointments (PA) "at par with their male counterparts", it said. The ministry further said the SSA has also been "opened for male candidates".

A senior official said the policy reform will allow induction of women candidates into Permanent Appointments at par with their male counterparts, as also posting of women personnel aboard ICG ships in "operational, executive, technical" and other key roles. Now, they will also be able to get the "same level of training" as male personnel have been receiving, the officials said. Previously, women personnel have been posted in "logistics role", but with the new policy, "it really brings them at par, in every sense", they said. The ministry said this "progressive step reflects the government's commitment to Nari Shakti and equal opportunity in the nation's maritime security apparatus". The policy ensures "equal opportunities for career progression", commencing right from the ab initio training phase. The existing PA women officers shall also be "considered for promotion to higher positions subject to fulfilment of eligibility conditions", it said.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.