The transgenders may be recruited as combat officers in the central paramilitary forces as the Centre is mulling to allow them to appear in the UPSC CAPF Examination.
According to reports, the Union Home Ministry has sought opinions of various branches of paramilitary forces including Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) over their recruitment.
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The MHA has reportedly asked the authorities to examine the issue of incorporating ‘transgender’ as third gender along with male/female in the rules of CAPF (Assistant Commandant) Examination 2020.
Reports quoted sources in the security establishment as saying that with the Centre notifying the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act in December last year, it is now essential to provide the transgenders a “level playing field” in all avenues and services including combat policing.
The MHA has also sought time-bound “comments” from the five paramilitary forces in favour or against the transgenders’ engagement as assistant commandants.
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The post of assistant commandant is the entry-level officer rank in the five CAPFs.
A report quoted a senior CAPF commander as saying: “What we have found after the preliminary analysis is that this is a watershed moment for the CAPFs like few years ago when women were recruited for the first time in the constabulary and officer ranks.”
“The transgenders will add to the rich profile of these forces,” the paramilitary officer said.
The report quoted another officer as saying that the forces have analysed that they will not have to prepare any additional infrastructure for transgender officers as all the existing units and toilets are gender-neutral.