New Delhi: Army Chief Gen MM Naravane on January 11 said that the training for the first batch of 100 women personnel for induction into military police has started.

Last year, the Indian Army began the process of inducting women into the military police, nearly two years after Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said women would be recruited as jawans.

In a press conference, when media asked when the women will be given combat, General Naravane did not give a direct reply and said training of the first batch of 100 women personnel for induction into military police has started from January 6.

In an interview to PTI in June 2017, Army chief Rawat had said the Army was looking at inducting women jawans and the process would start with the induction of women into military police corps.

At present, women are allowed in select areas such as medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army.

The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.