Guwahati: Indian Police Services (IPS) officer Violet Baruah became Monday the first-ever woman to get promoted to the rank of Inspector General in Assam Police. In an official notification, the Home Department of Assam government promoted Violet Baruah, who received the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service this year, to the rank of Inspector General of Police with effect from January 1, 2022.
The Assam Police’s seniormost woman IPS officer is currently posted as the Deputy Inspector General of Police (BTAD) in Kokrajhar district. Baruah will be in the ‘Super Time Scale-II of IPS’ of pay matrix, the department added.
Baruah expressed happiness over the development. She said she has always taken up any challenge that came along in the job.
“I have never said no to any posting or task in my career. Rejecting a job has never been my style of functioning. That is why I was out of Guwahati (where state police headquarters is situated) for most of the period of my service,” Baruah said.
The senior police officer had also received the President’s Medal for Meritorious Service in 2012.
Baruah had joined the police force in 1992 as an Assam Police Services officer and got nominated to IPS in 2004. She opined that gender empowerment has been taking place everywhere, but the need of the hour is ‘gender mainstreaming’.
“It requires personal initiative also. I personally opted for a field job and I did not face any barrier in that. Nowadays many women have come forward to join the police, but I feel more should come,” informed Baruah.
The 59-year-old officer had served as the superintendent of police in four districts – Morigaon, Goalpara, Cachar and Barpeta, besides working in the CID wing of the Assam Police.