The government is planning to introduce a 15% reservation for women in the recruitment of fire-fighters.
Odisha government is all set to employ women in the fire department which will be a historic move as it will lead to the abolishment of an 82-year-old rule which prevents women from being employed in the fire department.
According to a report in The Times of India, the Odisha fire department has been in action since 1936 and this historic move may provide a unique distinction to the state. The government is planning to introduce a 15% reservation for women in the recruitment of fire-fighters. This move is courtesy the firm request made by BK Sharma, Director general of police (fire service, home guards and civil defence). A senior fire service officer said, "We are confident that the state government would approve our proposal and allow women to work as firefighters. We have proposed to the government to amend the fire service recruitment rules."
Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik is an active supporter of women empowerment in the state and will surely make this move possible as soon as possible. The job requires a lot of physical strength and is a high-risk job, so traditionally women were traditionally debarred from being a part of the fire unit. But now, with changing times, it is necessary that we allow women to participate in all activities of their choice as equals with the opposite gender. Women are capable of strenuous physical activity as well as high risk-jobs. They represent the nation at various physical sports like weightlifting and boxing to name a few and even the police forces have been led by elite officers like Kiran Bedi in the past.
Only a few states like Tamil Nadu, New Delhi, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have women fire-fighters and Odisha is surely on the way to joining the elite company. Other states must take a leaf out of Odisha’s book and follow in the same path to pave the way for a developed India.