Meet the All-Women Commando Team of CISF Who Will Protect Indian Airports

In an unprecedented move, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has established its first all‑women commando unit, marking a shift from traditional support roles to core operational responsibilities. Comprising around 100 female personnel from the Aviation Security Groups (ASGs) stationed at airports nationwide, these commandos are being upskilled for critical counter-terror and frontline tactical operations.

Rigorous Training That Mirrors Elite Forces

The selected women are undergoing an intensive eight-week advanced commando course at the Regional Training Centre (RTC) in Barwaha, Madhya Pradesh. Launched on August 11, 2025, the training regimen is modeled on elite tactical units and includes:

• Weapons handling and live-fire drills under stress
• Endurance challenges such as rappelling, obstacle courses, and forest survival
• A grueling 48-hour confidence‑building exercise to test judgement, teamwork, and crisis response under duress.

Phased Rollout: Training and Deployment Timeline

• First batch: 30 women, currently deployed at airports, training from August 11 to October 4, 2025.
• Second batch: Training begins October 6, concluding November 29, 2025.
• Deployment: Post-training, commandos will be integrated into Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) and Special Task Forces (STFs), initially deployed at airports and later at other sensitive installations.
• Significance: Gender Parity in Core Operations.

Currently, female personnel make up approximately 8% of CISF’s workforce, equating to 12,491 women. With the Ministry of Home Affairs’ directive to increase female representation to at least 10%, the CISF plans to recruit around 2,400 more women by 2026, alongside ensuring future recruitment maintains this benchmark.

A CISF spokesperson emphasized that this initiative isn’t symbolic tokenism, but an authentic effort to ensure that women “are not just in support roles, but at the core of operational combat readiness.”

Why This Matters: A Strategic & Cultural Breakthrough

• Operational Equality: Women are now being equipped and trusted to shoulder demanding, frontline security roles—previously reserved for men.
• Inspiring Future Generations: This move is poised to inspire countless young women across India to consider careers in elite security services.
• Holistic Security Enhancement: Diverse teams bring varied perspectives and strengths, bolstering adaptability in high-risk scenarios.

Looking Ahead

As the CISF rolls out these all-women commando batches, they lay the foundation for a more inclusive and forceful security apparatus—reflecting both the changing societal landscape and the evolving needs of national security.