New Delhi: In a significant milestone for women officers in India’s central armed police forces, 2006-batch IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has taken charge as Inspector General (IG) of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), the CRPF’s specialised jungle warfare force.
Parashar, an IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, is the first woman officer to head CoBRA, a 10-battalion force comprising highly trained commandos specialising in operations in dense forests and difficult terrain.
She succeeds 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as CoBRA Inspector General. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) headquarters issued the order last week.
Her appointment puts a woman IPS officer at the helm of one of the CRPF’s most specialised operational formations, known for conducting counter-insurgency and anti-Left Wing Extremism operations in some of the country’s most challenging areas.
A Force Built for Jungle Warfare and Counter-Insurgency
CoBRA was raised by the CRPF in 2008-09 primarily to conduct operations against Left Wing Extremism (LWE), particularly in dense forests and difficult terrain.
The force was created around the requirement for highly trained personnel capable of operating for extended periods in jungle environments. Its commandos undergo specialised training in jungle and guerrilla warfare, long-range patrolling, intelligence-based operations and counter-ambush tactics.
Over the years, CoBRA units have been deployed in several areas affected by Left Wing Extremism as well as insurgency-related challenges in parts of the Northeast.
The force’s operational role has also extended to areas facing serious security challenges. Two CoBRA units were recently deployed in Manipur amid efforts to contain armed violence in the state.
Against this operational backdrop, Parashar’s appointment assumes significance, particularly given her own experience of policing and counter-insurgency operations in Assam.
Sanjukta Parashar Brings Extensive Assam Experience
For Sanjukta Parashar, the new assignment brings her back to the kind of difficult terrain and security environment that she has encountered during several stages of her career.
Early in her career, she served in Udalguri, an area that had witnessed violent clashes involving Bodo groups and migrants from Bangladesh. Her postings in Assam also included assignments in insurgency-affected areas and responsibilities involving sensitive law-and-order situations.
Her field experience subsequently included handling counter-insurgency operations at a time when several parts of Assam were grappling with militant activity.
As Superintendent of Police in Sonitpur, Parashar led 16 counter-insurgency operations, in which 16 militants were killed and 64 insurgents were arrested.
The operational record earned her the nickname “Iron Lady of Assam”, a moniker associated with her work in difficult security environments.
Behind that reputation was years of field policing in areas where officers had to operate under demanding conditions and make quick operational decisions.
From Assam Police to the National Investigation Agency
Parashar’s experience has not been limited to field policing.
She later served as a Deputy Inspector General in the National Investigation Agency (NIA), where she handled investigations connected with terrorism, extremism and national security.
Her stint with the central investigation agency added another dimension to her experience, taking her from ground-level counter-insurgency and law-and-order assignments to investigations involving wider national-security concerns.
The combination of field experience in Assam and exposure to specialised national-security investigations is now part of the professional background she brings to her new role in CoBRA.
First Woman to Head CoBRA
The appointment is particularly significant because CoBRA has traditionally been a highly specialised operational formation built around combat and jungle-warfare capabilities.
With 10 battalions of trained commandos, the force operates in environments that require specialised knowledge of forest terrain, sustained patrolling, intelligence gathering and counter-insurgency tactics.
A senior CRPF officer confirmed that Parashar is the first woman officer to be appointed to head the force.
Her appointment therefore marks a notable development in the representation of women officers in specialised operational leadership positions within India’s central armed police forces.
Rather than being only a ceremonial milestone, the assignment places Parashar in charge of a force whose personnel are deployed for demanding operational tasks in difficult security environments.
CoBRA’s Role in Manipur
Parashar takes over at a time when CoBRA continues to have an operational role in areas facing security challenges.
Two CoBRA units were recently deployed in Manipur amid efforts to contain armed violence in the state.
The deployment reflects the wider role that the force has come to play beyond its original anti-LWE mandate, including operations in difficult terrain and areas affected by insurgency and armed violence.
For an officer with extensive experience in Assam’s insurgency-affected areas, the operational environment is one with which Parashar has considerable familiarity.
Who Is IPS Sanjukta Parashar?
Dr Parashar is a highly decorated 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. She cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2005 with an All India Rank of 85 and chose the IPS, despite having a rank that could have opened the way to other prestigious services.
She joined the service on August 29, 2006, and was allotted the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
She is widely known for her fearless field leadership and her work in counter-insurgency operations. She is also known for combining security operations with community outreach, particularly in areas affected by militancy and ethnic conflict.
She has been described as the first Assamese woman IPS officer to be posted directly in Assam under the Assam cadre, and her frontline work against militants earned her the popular title of the “Iron Lady of Assam.”
Early Life and Education
Born in Assam on October 3, 1979, Ms Parashar grew up in a family connected with public service.
Her father, Dulal Chandra Barua, was an engineer in the Irrigation Department, while her mother, Meena Devi, served as an officer in the Assam Health Service.
She completed her early schooling in Guwahati and later pursued higher education in Delhi. She studied at Holy Child School, Guwahati, up to Class 10 and completed Class 12 from Army School, Narengi.
She subsequently earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. She then pursued an M.A. in International Relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.
Her academic journey did not end there. She went on to obtain an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in American Foreign Policy from JNU’s School of International Studies, with research work that also involved study in Indonesia.
Her academic background in international relations and foreign policy later complemented her work in national security and counter-terrorism.
UPSC Success and Choice of IPS
She cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination in 2005, securing All India Rank 85.
Despite securing a high rank, she chose the Indian Police Service, reflecting her preference for a career involving direct field-level work and policing.
She joined the IPS in 2006 and began a career that would take her through sensitive field postings, counter-insurgency operations, intelligence investigations and central deputation.
First Field Assignment in Makum
Her early field career began with her posting as an Assistant Commandant in Makum, Assam, in 2008.
Her initial years in the service exposed her to the complexities of policing in Assam, a state that has historically faced ethnic tensions and insurgency-related challenges.
One account of her early career states that within hours of taking charge, violence erupted between Bodo groups and local communities in the nearby Udalguri area. She was immediately dispatched to handle the situation and played a role in restoring law and order.
She was subsequently posted to other important field assignments, including the role of Superintendent of Police in Jorhat district, where she worked on policing, community relations and district-level law-and-order issues.
The Sonitpur Posting That Made Her ‘Iron Lady of Assam’
It was her tenure as Superintendent of Police (SP), Sonitpur district, particularly during 2014–2015, that established Ms Parashar’s reputation as one of Assam’s most prominent frontline police officers.
Sonitpur was among the areas affected by insurgency involving the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).
Rather than limiting herself to office-based supervision, she was known for accompanying security personnel into difficult forest terrain and personally leading operations against militants.
Armed with an AK-47 and wearing protective gear, she participated in operations in dense forests and difficult terrain along areas affected by insurgency.
During a period of approximately 15 months, she led 16 counter-insurgency encounters.
The operations resulted in 16 militants being killed and 64 insurgents being arrested, according to the details provided. During her tenure, the authorities also reported significant numbers of militants being arrested and jailed, with 172 militants jailed in 2013 and 175 in 2014.
Her willingness to operate from the front rather than remain confined to the command room contributed significantly to her reputation among personnel and the public.
The nickname “Iron Lady of Assam” became associated with her approach to policing and counter-insurgency.
Leading From the Front
IPS Parashar’s operational approach was based on visible leadership and a combination of intelligence gathering and field action.
She personally led security teams into rugged forest areas and used a combination of human intelligence and technical surveillance to identify insurgents and their networks.
Her operations were aimed not merely at engaging armed militants but also at disrupting the wider ecosystem supporting insurgency.
This included targeting insurgent sympathizers, financial support networks and illegal arms-smuggling channels, thereby attempting to weaken the supply chains that sustained militant activity.
Her approach also emphasised avoiding unnecessary harm to civilians and ensuring that security operations remained focused on identified targets.
Community Policing Alongside Counter-Insurgency
While IPS Parashar earned recognition for her combat operations, her policing approach also included a strong emphasis on community engagement.
She worked to rebuild public confidence in areas affected by insurgency by organizing medical camps, community meetings and relief distribution programmes in remote locations.
The objective was to establish the police not simply as an enforcement agency but as an institution that could provide protection and assistance to local communities.
As relations between the police and villagers improved, residents began voluntarily sharing information about insurgent activities.
Parashar also reached out to families of youths who had been influenced by militant groups, encouraging them to surrender and return to the mainstream.
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Her engagement with women and young people was another important component of her community-oriented policing.
She encouraged local youth to focus on education, sports and careers in the civil services, while simultaneously seeking greater participation from communities in maintaining peace and security.
Move to the National Investigation Agency
After her important field assignments in Assam, IPS Parashar moved to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in New Delhi on central deputation.
She served with the agency from 2017 to 2023, initially as an SP and subsequently as a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police.
At the NIA, she was involved in investigating complex national-security and counter-terrorism cases.
Her responsibilities included investigations involving terror networks, terror financing, cross-border links and insurgency-related activities.
The move to the NIA marked a shift from frontline district policing to complex national-level investigations, allowing her to apply both her field experience and academic background in international relations and foreign policy.
Promotion to Inspector General
Parashar was promoted to the rank of Inspector General of Police in January 2024.
Her elevation to the IG rank followed years of experience spanning district policing, counter-insurgency operations, intelligence investigations and national-security assignments.
She has also served in senior policing and intelligence-related roles, including responsibilities associated with the Assam CID.
Awards and Recognition
Ms Parashar’s career has been recognized through several awards and honours.
She has been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Police Training (2022).
She has also received the Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award for women’s empowerment.
These recognitions have highlighted not only her work in internal security but also her contributions to policing, training, community engagement and women’s empowerment.
Family and Personal Life
Sanjukta Parashar married IAS officer Puru Gupta, a 2006-batch officer, in 2008.
Both officers have held important administrative responsibilities during their careers. Due to their postings in different districts and locations, they have often had to spend extended periods living and working separately.
The couple has a son.
Her mother, Meena Devi, has played an important role in supporting the family and helping with her son’s upbringing while Parashar pursued demanding professional assignments.
A New Chapter in a Challenging Career
Sanjukta Parashar’s journey to the leadership of CoBRA has involved assignments across field policing, counter-insurgency and national-security investigations.
Her early experiences in Assam exposed her to difficult law-and-order situations and insurgency-related challenges. Her tenure as Sonitpur SP included multiple counter-insurgency operations, while her later assignment with the NIA gave her experience in investigations involving terrorism, extremism and national security.
Now, as Inspector General of CoBRA, she has taken charge of a 10-battalion specialised force whose commandos are trained to operate in some of the country’s most challenging environments.
Her appointment also adds a new chapter to the journey of women officers in India’s security forces, demonstrating the increasingly diverse range of operational and leadership responsibilities being entrusted to women in the central armed police forces.
For Parashar, the CoBRA assignment brings her back to the difficult terrain and operational challenges that have defined significant parts of her career, while placing her at the head of one of the CRPF’s most specialised formations.
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