Although women entered the Indian police as early as 1938, their growth and development have been slow. For the most part, women were used as social workers rather than as law enforcement officers, dealing mainly with matters concerning women and children. For the past few decades there has been an increase in the number of women joining the Indian Police Service. While some States are lagging behind, others have realized the importance of women in policing and thus there has been a quicker rise in the number of women in these States. 4 tables, 6 notes. (Publisher abstract)