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India's Federal Government will use thousands of retired defence personnel to provide security to overseas tourists after at least seven alleged sex attacks on foreigners last month.
The decision was made last week at a meeting called by the Federal Tourism Ministry to discuss the safety of the 4 million foreign tourists who visit India every year.
It also came within hours of police confirming that medical tests had established that a 32-year-old British woman had been raped in Goa, one of India's most popular tourist destinations on the west coast.
The attack reportedly happened after the woman accepted a lift home on her alleged assailant's motorcycle after a concert in Mapusa, north Goa.
Goa police said two more British women claimed to have been sexually assaulted by the owner of a resort in the former Portuguese enclave.
A Russian and a Finnish national also say they were attacked and threatened with rape by locals in a series of similar incidents that have hit national headlines and threaten to damage India's reputation as a friendly destination.
There were also reports a British freelance journalist was raped a fortnight ago in Udaipur, the city of lakes in the western state of Rajasthan.
"It has been decided that the large bank of trained, disciplined ex-servicemen in the country can be utilised to provide security to tourists. Advisories are being sent to the states to implement this measure," federal tourism secretary Shilbhadra Banerjee said.
Some 60,000 Indian defence personnel retire each year.
Authorities have also said they will fast-track tourist rape cases in a country infamous for its slow justice system.
"Zero tolerance will be observed in any rape case that is reported," Banerjee said.
Other measures being introduced include the formation of complaint cells and dedicated phone numbers for security at tourist spots.
Tourism officials said the cases of rape and molestation underlined the pitfalls faced by Western women travelling in India where they were generally presumed to be promiscuous.
Goa's reputation has particularly suffered, fuelled by the increase in the number of tourists it attracts.
But locals said matters were exacerbated by Westerners flouting local custom by wearing revealing clothes in public and organising open house "rave" parties where alcohol and drugs were freely available.
The Lonely Planet Guide on India advises female tourists to refrain from wearing sleeveless blouses, tight-fitting clothing or going bra-less.
