NEW DELHI, July 28 — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday unveiled a new policy enabling gender-neutral induction and career progression for officers in the Indian Coast Guard, opening up a wider range of roles and career paths to women officers within the force.
The policy is expected to remove existing restrictions that limited certain postings and career tracks by gender, aligning the Coast Guard more closely with reforms already underway in the Army, Navy and Air Force around expanding opportunities for women in uniform. Officials described it as part of a broader effort to modernise the force's human resource policies and bring its cadre management in line with the other armed services.
The Indian Coast Guard, which operates under the Ministry of Defence, plays a central role in maritime security, search and rescue, anti-smuggling operations and protection of India's exclusive economic zone. Widening entry pathways is expected to help address staffing needs as the force's operational responsibilities continue to expand along India's coastline.
For aspirants, defence policy reforms around gender-neutral roles have become a recurring current affairs theme across all three services and the Coast Guard, worth tracking chronologically as they roll out.