The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is significantly bolstering security along the India-China Line of Actual Control (LAC) by establishing 10 all-women border outposts. This strategic move, announced during the force’s 64th Raising Day parade, is a key component of the ITBP’s “forwardisation” strategy, which aims to push border posts closer to the frontier following the 2020 Ladakh standoff. Already, 215 border outposts have been relocated further forward, an increase from the previous 180. The recruitment of seven new battalions and the creation of a sector headquarters have further enhanced the ITBP’s operational reach and oversight in these sensitive forward areas. The force is also planning to establish an additional 41 forward bases to strengthen overall security and coordination. Notably, two of these all-women outposts will be situated in Lukung, Ladakh, and Thangi, Himachal Pradesh, with eight more to follow along the LAC. This initiative underscores a commitment to expanding the roles of women combatants within the ITBP. Alongside these new posts, training institutions have been revamped with five new skill modules, focusing on crucial areas like mountain warfare and tactical survival. The ITBP, with over 100,000 personnel, operates at altitudes ranging from 9,000 to 14,000 feet, facing extreme weather and low oxygen conditions to guard the 3,488-km-long LAC with China.
