By: Vikram Sharma
Finally, it will be just Sub Inspector or Constable and not woman SI or woman constable. The Telangana police is moving towards a gender-neutral nomenclature to curb stereotyping and bias.
Henceforth, just like their male counterparts, women in TS police will simply be referred to as SI or constable instead of Woman SI or WPC in all official records and day-to-day work.
Sources in the Telangana state police disclosed to Express that the idea was to bring women police personnel on par with men and to do away with the existing system which appears biased.
The changed nomenclature would come into force once the GO is issued for 33 per cent reservation for women in police recruitment as constables and sub-inspectors.
When contacted, Telangana Director General of Police Anurag Sharma confirmed that the nomenclature will no longer exist.
‘’The government has already agreed to this proposal (33 per cent reservation for women) in principle. Simultaneously, the nomenclature too would be done away with. The idea is to ensure that there is no gender bias in the department and that all are equal,’’ Anurag Sharma said.
Once implemented, Telangana state police will be the first in the country to remove nomenclature for women police personnel. ‘’It is a welcome move as everyone in the department, in our ranks, will be equal without gender bias. This move will certainly boost our confidence and enable us perform well,’’ said a woman police officer, wishing anonymity.
33 pc Quota for Women
A task force on police reforms appointed by the TS government had recommended 33 per cent reservation for women in police recruitment for posts of constables and sub-inspectors. The GO is likely to be issued soon and along with it, the age old system of calling women police personnel as Woman SI or woman PC will be done away with. Women police personnel constitute between 8 and 9 per cent of the total state police.
Source: The New Indian Express