Riot gear for women police personnel and paramilitary officers, taking into account their different bodily measurements has been designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the country’s agency tasked with the military’s research and development.
The suit, said to be the “first of its kind”, was displayed in Jalandhar, Punjab, at an exhibition organised on the sidelines of 106th Indian Science Congress, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jalandhar. “Till now women have been using the same riot gear designed for men that do not fit them well,” said Indrajeet Singh, Technical Officer, Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS). “The new suit has been designed based on anthropogenic measurements of women from different parts of the country,” he said.
The gear, made using a novel fire and acid resistant material that DRDO is in the process of patenting, comes in three sizes–small, medium and large. The new suit also provides protection against blunt impact. “The new suits are much lighter than the previous ones and provide more cover. The bodysuit covers the entire upper body. Its back side is designed in the shape of a spine. The attached arm guards cover the entire hand, and even the inner side and the wrist. There is a pelvis guard and a separate guard for the thigh, shin and calf,” said Singh. The suits are currently undergoing quality testing.
