New Delhi/Jammu, Nov 23 — The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), tasked with guarding the 3,488 km India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC), will establish 10 all-women border outposts (BOPs) along the high-altitude frontier, ITBP Director General Praveen Kumar announced on Saturday.
Speaking at the 64th Raising Day parade in Jammu, the DG said the initiative is part of the force’s extensive “forwardisation” plan, launched after the 2020 Ladakh clash. As many as 215 BOPs have already been moved forward along India’s northern and eastern sectors, up from 180 earlier.
He said the establishment of seven new battalions and a sector headquarters — sanctioned by the Centre in 2023 and comprising about 9,400 personnel — has significantly strengthened supervision and reach in forward areas.
The DG said the force will set up 41 additional forward bases along the LAC to further enhance security and coordination.
As part of widening the role of women in border security, the ITBP is creating all-women posts at Ladakh’s Lukung and Himachal Pradesh’s Thangi, while eight more such BOPs will be operational soon.
Kumar said the force has “reorganised” its training institutions and introduced five new skilling modules focusing on mountain warfare, tactical survival and other specialised domains.
With over one lakh personnel, the ITBP operates posts located between 9,000 ft and 14,000 ft, battling extreme weather and low oxygen levels. Raised in 1962, the force functions under the Union Home Ministry. (Agencies)
