Sanjukta Parashar: Assam Cop Is CRPF CoBRA's 1st Woman Chief

Sanjukta Parashar previously served in the National Investigation Agency.

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• Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed as the first woman IG of CRPF's CoBRA unit
• She belongs to the 2006-batch IPS from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre
• Born in 1979, Parashar has previously served in the National Investigation Agency

What impact will her appointment have on female representation in CoBRA?
Guwahati:

IPS officer Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed as the first woman Inspector General (IG) of the Central Reserve Police Force's CoBRA sector headquarters in Delhi.

Parashar, a 2006-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, will succeed 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as the IG of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), the paramilitary force's special jungle warfare commando unit.

"This is the first time that the ten-battalion-strong CoBRA of the CRPF will be headed by a woman officer," a senior officer told the news agency PTI.

Sanjukta Parashar, the then NIA DIG, received a medal for excellence for police training from Union Home Minister Amit Shah in April 2022
Photo Credit: PTI

However, CRPF sources said the paramilitary force has women heading sectors in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu, North East and CoBRA Sector.

She also has past experience of working under CRPF chief GP Singh, as he was Assam's former director general of police (DGP).

The CRPF raised CoBRA in 2008-09 to tackle Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in multiple Indian states and insurgency in certain Northeast states.

Who Is Sanjukta Parashar

Born in October 1979, Sanjukta Parashar has previously served in the National Investigation Agency (NIA), in addition to working in her cadre state of Assam.

The 46-year-old had led several counterinsurgency operations in Assam, particularly in the state's upper region.  

She completed her early education in Assam and later moved to Delhi for higher studies.

She graduated in political science from Indraprastha College, Delhi University, and later her master's in international relations from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).

Parashar then cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and joined the Indian Police Service.

She has over 76,000 followers on Facebook and more than 24,000 followers on Instagram.

Got a follow‑up question on this article? Go on

• What key operations did Sanjukta Parashar lead in Assam?
• What specific challenges do CoBRA commandos face in jungle warfare?
• How are women officers currently recruited into CRPF combat roles?

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