April 8, 2016: The Passing Out Parade of the first batch of Women Recruits of Assam Rifles was held at the Assam Rifles Training Centre and School, Shokhuvi, Dimapur on Wednesday with Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju taking the salute, a press release informed.
Addressing the ceremony, Rijiju expressed happiness to be part of the event and reminded the AR of the Force’s rich and proud heritage and its commitment to the country’s security. In his address to the newly attested soldiers, Rijiju expressed confidence that the training at the Training Centre would stand them in good stead in all their future assignments.
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs also gave away the prizes to the Women recruits for their outstanding performance during training. The newly passed out 100 Women Soldiers will be posted to the various Battalions of the Force, the release stated.
A total of 212 recruits were part of the parade of which 100 were women, it informed. Breaking the male bastion in the 181 years old force, the Assam Rifles had recruited the first batch of 127 women recruits from Recruitment rallies conducted all over India and their subsequent reporting for training at Assam Rifles Training Centre & School, Dimapur in March 2015.
Three Indian Army Lady Officers were specially posted to Assam Rifles Training Centre & School in March 2014 to plan, raise and institutionalize a separate Training Company for women recruits at the Training Centre, the release stated.
“I am so proud that our nation is moving forward in accepting the fact that women can do the same job that men can do,” the release quoted Officer In-charge of the first batch of Women recruits, Major Joshi, as saying. The women recruits were part of the Lushai Training Company which was formally raised on April 15, 2015.