The contingent marched to the tune of the CRPF song 'Desh Ke Hum Hai Rakshak.'

From LoC Border to Kartavya Path: Simran Bala Scripts History with All-Male CRPF Unit

Assistant Commandant Simran Bala created history on Monday by commanding an all-male contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path. According to the report, the 26-year-old officer led a squad of 147 personnel from the country’s largest paramilitary force, marking the first time a lady officer has commanded a full party of male personnel during the annual national event.

Hailing from the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, Bala is the first woman from the district to join the CRPF in an officer rank. Her village, Nowshera, is located just 11 km from the India-Pakistan Line of Control (LoC). A graduate in political science from the Government College for Women in Jammu, she comes from a family with a legacy of service, as both her father and grandfather served in the Army.

The contingent marched to the tune of the CRPF song 'Desh Ke Hum Hai Rakshak.' Bala was commissioned into the force in April 2025. She is currently serving her first posting with the 'Bastariya' battalion in Chhattisgarh, where she is tasked with anti-Naxal operations.

The CRPF is India's premier internal security force with a strength of approximately 3.25 lakh personnel; it operates primarily across three major combat theaters. These include anti-Naxal operations, counter-terrorist offensives within Jammu and Kashmir, and critical counter-insurgency duties in the Northeast.

Source: The Tribune