Sanjukta Parashar becomes first woman to head CRPF's CoBRA unit

IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed as the first woman Inspector General of the Central Reserve Police Force's elite CoBRA unit, marking a historic first for the specialized jungle warfare commando force. The appointment order was issued by the CRPF headquarters last week, with Parashar succeeding 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana in the role. Parashar, a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is widely known as the "Iron Lady of Assam" for her counterinsurgency work in the Northeast. Her career includes extensive experience in field policing, national security investigations, and a tenure as a Deputy Inspector General with the National Investigation Agency. The CoBRA, or Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, is one of the CRPF's most specialized operational formations. Raised in 2008-09 under the Ministry of Home Affairs, the unit was established primarily to counter the Naxalite insurgency across India's "Red Corridor" and handle insurgency in the Northeast. It is highly proficient in guerrilla tactics, intelligence-based operations, and jungle warfare. The appointment comes at a time when security forces face complex operational challenges.