JAMMU: Simran Bala, a 26-year-old Assistant Commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from Jammu and Kashmir, will lead an all-male CRPF contingent during the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26, officials said on Monday.
While women officers of the CRPF have commanded Republic Day contingents in the past, this will be the first time a woman officer will command a marching contingent of over 140 male personnel at the prestigious national event.
Bala hails from Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir and is the first woman from the district to join the country’s largest paramilitary force in the officer rank. The CRPF, with a strength of around 3.25 lakh personnel, plays a crucial role in India’s internal security, with key operational theatres including anti-Naxal operations, counter-terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and counter-insurgency duties in the Northeast.
A political science graduate from the Government College for Women, Gandhinagar (Jammu), Bala was commissioned into the CRPF in April 2025. Her first posting was with the ‘Bastariya’ battalion in Chhattisgarh, which is engaged in anti-Naxal operations, officials said.
She was awarded Best Officer in Training and also excelled in public speaking during her training at the CRPF Academy in Gurugram, after qualifying the CAPF Assistant Commandants examination conducted by the UPSC.
The annual Republic Day parade showcases India’s military strength and cultural diversity as it proceeds along Kartavya Path from Raisina Hill to the Red Fort via India Gate.
In addition to the CRPF marching contingent, a joint team of women ‘Dare Devils’ from the CRPF and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will also participate in the parade, riding Enfield Bullet motorcycles. These women personnel had earlier performed the feat during the Republic Day celebrations in 2020.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) will field a marching and band contingent, while the Border Security Force (BSF) will be represented by its renowned camel-mounted troops and band teams. A joint tableau by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) is also expected to feature as part of the Union Home Ministry’s float during the event.
