GUWAHATI: IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed Inspector General (IG) of the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), becoming the first woman to head the force’s 10-battalion jungle warfare formation.
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A 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, Parashar will succeed 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana. The CRPF headquarters issued the appointment order last week.
CoBRA is a specialised unit trained for guerrilla and jungle warfare. Its personnel are equipped to conduct long-range operations in dense forests and difficult terrain, carry out ambushes and counter-ambushes, respond to IED threats and undertake intelligence-based operations against armed militants.
Parashar brings extensive field experience from insurgency-affected areas in Assam, along with experience in national security investigations. She has also served as a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) with the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Her academic background includes a degree in Political Science from Indraprastha College, Delhi University, followed by higher studies in International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
Parashar cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2006 with an All India Rank of 85 and joined the Indian Police Service, choosing the police service over the administrative service.
During her early career in Assam, Parashar served in areas affected by insurgency and was involved in counter-insurgency operations. Her field leadership and experience in challenging operational conditions earned her the sobriquet “Iron Lady of Assam”.