CHANDIGARH: Just like the country is celebrating the unstoppable spirit shown by our athletes and teams—like the historic momentum of the Indian cricket team—in the same way, the Punjab government is ensuring that this spirit of excellence is nurtured not only on the sports field but also in the public service sector.
Under the decisive leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the state took a historic administrative step that deserves as much praise and appreciation as possible, and this step confirms its commitment to actively work for the dignity and empowerment of its women through long-pending amendments in Fire Brigade recruitment rules.
Punjab is the first state to actively recruit female firefighters. However, the government has recently amended the physical recruitment standards to make it easier to appoint women to these positions, and recruitment is expected to start soon. Earlier, strict physical test requirements, such as lifting 60 kilograms over a distance of 100 yards in one minute, meant that none of the approximately 1, 400 women who applied for firefighter positions in 2022 could qualify for this job. And for several decades, the path to joining the frontline of fire and emergency services remained closed for thousands of qualified women due to an arbitrary, outdated system that had been in place since the 1970s. It was mandatory to lift 60 kilograms over a distance of 100 yards in one minute in the physical examination.
This strict and old standard showed that despite performing brilliantly in the written exam, female candidates were systematically disqualified during physical evaluation. The main reason for this was that this standard was set for the general male demographic and failed to take into account the physical and biological differences in body structure. As a result, despite a large number of applicants applying, not a single woman could be recruited. In this step, praised by advocacy groups and thousands of hopeful candidates, the state government directly intervened in the recruitment process. Recognizing that the true measure of capability is not from mass but from agility, skill, and pure courage, the Cabinet amended the rules for the first time in history, reducing the weight lifting requirement for women from 60 kilograms to 40 kilograms.