Assistant Commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Simran Bala created history by leading an all-male contingent of the paramilitary force during the Republic Day Parade on the duty path here on Monday (January 26, 2026).
The 26-year-old officer, who hails from Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, led a contingent of 147 personnel of the country’s largest paramilitary force. On the duty route, the contingent marched to the tune of the force’s song ‘Desh Ke Hum Hain Rakshak’ played by the CRPF Band. Although there have been instances when CRPF women officers have led various Republic Day contingents, this is the first time that a woman officer has commanded a contingent of over 140 male-only personnel during the annual national event.
Bala joined the force less than a year ago. She is a resident of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir and is the first woman from the district to have the distinction of joining the officer rank in the country’s largest paramilitary force. His village Nowshera is only 11 kilometers from the India-Pakistan Line of Control and there have been several incidents of cross-border shelling in this area in the past.
He had told ‘PTI-Bhasha’ during the parade practice a few days ago, ‘It is really an honor for me to lead the contingent in the Republic Day parade. I am grateful to CRPF for giving me this opportunity. The youngest of three siblings, Bala’s grandfather and father had also served in the army.
Bala has graduated in Political Science from Government Women’s College, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu. He was inducted into the force in April 2025 and his first posting has been made in ‘Bastariya’ battalion in Chhattisgarh. This battalion has been entrusted with the responsibility of anti-Naxal operations. The CRPF, with around 3.25 lakh personnel, is the country’s premier internal security force which helps in anti-Naxal operations, anti-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir and counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.
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