It must have been a very proud moment for Inspector Kamlesh Kumar of Indo-Tibetan Border Police as he saluted his daughter Diksha who was inducted in his force as Assistant Commandant.

Diksha is one of the two women to join the force as assistant commandant (AC) along with Prakriti. The two are the first women ACs to be appointed after ITBP started recruiting women as female combat officers through the Union Public Service Commission examinations conducted in 2016.

Among the pictures of the Passing Out Parade and the attestation ceremony of the ACs, the image of Kumar saluting Diksha was widely appreciated and went viral on the net. Posted on the official ITBP Twitter handle, it was captioned: "Saluting the daughter with pride… Diksha joined ITBP as Assistant Commandant. His father Insp/CM Kamlesh Kumar of ITBP salutes her after the Passing Out Parade and attestation ceremony at ITBP Academy, Mussoorie today."

Saluting the daughter with pride…

Diksha joined ITBP as Assistant Commandant. His father Insp/CM Kamlesh Kumar of ITBP salutes her after the Passing Out Parade and attestation ceremony at ITBP Academy, Mussoorie today. #Himveers pic.twitter.com/v8e1GkQJYH

— ITBP (@ITBP_official) August 8, 2021

The daughter was all praise for her father and told the media how he had played a very supportive role and allowed her the freedom to pursue what she wanted. “My father is my role model, he always motivated me.”

Before the induction of Diksha and Prakriti as combat officers, women were serving ITBP in its medical wing or they were on deputation from the Indian Police Service.

Diksha and Prakrit were part of the passing-out parade that was held in Mussoorie at ITBP Academy after a gruelling basic training for a period of 52 weeks. Now, they will take up the post of company commanders in ITBP battalions. The total number of officers who passed out was 53.

Prakriti and Diksha have been posted to ITBP’s 14th and 2nd battalion and both are technical graduates. While the former, daughter of a retired Indian Air Force warrant officer, is an electrical engineer and the latter has a B.Tech degree.

Though women have joined as commanders for the first time, in the past, they have been inducted as constables and have done operational duties along the Line of Actual Control with China. Out of a total strength of 83,000, there are 1,500 women in the force.

Prakriti and Diksha 

ITBP is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of India and was raised on October 24, 1962, in the wake of the China-India war that year, under the CRPF Act. While its main functions as a multi-dimensional force include vigil on the borders, controlling illegal immigration, providing protection to sensitive installations and maintain peace, it has played a stellar role as the first responder in case of disasters.

The other CAPFs are the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal