Women Police And Paramilitary Personnel To Receive Customised Full Body Protection Gear Developed By DRDO

Women personnel among police and paramilitary ranks will now be provided with customised body armour, aka full body protectors (FBP), reports The Times of India. Previously, they had to make do with gear which was designed for their male counterparts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had revealed some details about the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) working on the FBP project, and now it has been reported that the technology has reached the stage of being ready to be moved to mass-production.

Specifically, the body armour has been designed and developed by scientists of the Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Science (DIPAS), which is a laboratory working under the aegis of the DRDO.

Commenting on the development, India’s first woman IPS officer, Kiran Bedi said, “Today, there are more women on the forefront everywhere — in the BSF, Assam Rifles, and even the army. All the state police forces have more women now, with many being promoted to high ranks. The timing is perfect.”

The FBP includes shoulder pads, arm guards, front and back shields, among other parts to provide holistic protection to the wearer’s body. Earlier suits which were not customised for women were ill-suited for female personnel and could not provide the proper protection required.