Women Warriors Guarding India-China LAC: 10 New ITBP Outposts

In a significant enhancement of its border management capabilities, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is deploying 10 all-women border outposts along the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC). This groundbreaking initiative is part of a comprehensive strategy to strengthen frontier security and promote gender equality within combat roles. The Director General of ITBP revealed that this move is a crucial element of the force’s “forwardisation” plan, which has already seen 215 border outposts repositioned closer to the border since the 2020 Ladakh clash. The addition of seven new battalions and a sector headquarters has significantly boosted the ITBP’s ability to monitor and secure the forward areas. The force now plans to establish another 41 forward bases along the LAC, further solidifying its presence. The first two all-women outposts will be located in Lukung, Ladakh, and Thangi, Himachal Pradesh, with an additional eight set to become operational soon. These deployments are complemented by an overhaul of ITBP’s training institutions, introducing new modules in mountain warfare and survival tactics. The ITBP, an integral part of India’s northern and eastern border defense, operates in some of the world’s most challenging high-altitude environments.