New Delhi: Assistant Commandant Simran Bala of the Central Reserve Police Force created a historic moment on Monday by commanding an all-male CRPF contingent during the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path. The 26-year-old officer led a unit of 147 personnel, marking the first time a woman officer has commanded a full contingent of male jawans at the national event.
The CRPF contingent marched to the tune of the force’s anthem, Desh ke Hum Hain Rakshak, as it passed the ceremonial boulevard, drawing applause from spectators. While women officers of the CRPF have previously led mixed or women contingents at Republic Day parades, this occasion marked a significant first for the paramilitary force.
Simran Bala, who joined the CRPF less than a year ago, hails from Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir and is the first woman from the district to be commissioned as an officer in the country’s largest paramilitary force. Her native village, Nowshera, lies barely 11 kilometres from the Line of Control and has witnessed repeated episodes of cross-border shelling over the years.
Expressing her gratitude ahead of the parade, Bala said she felt honoured to lead the contingent and thanked the force for entrusting her with the responsibility. She comes from a family with a strong military background, with both her father and grandfather having served in the Indian Army.
A graduate in political science from the Government College for Women in Jammu’s Gandhinagar, Bala was commissioned into the CRPF in April 2025. She is currently serving her first posting with the ‘Bastariya’ battalion in Chhattisgarh, where the unit is engaged in anti-Naxal operations.
With a strength of around 3.25 lakh personnel, the CRPF plays a crucial role in internal security, operating across anti-Naxal theatres, counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir, and counter-insurgency duties in the northeastern states.
