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The Republic Day parade showcased India’s military strength and cultural diversity as various forces marched from Raisina Hill along Kartavya Path
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The event also featured a joint women’s daredevil motorcycle team from the CRPF and Sashastra Seema Bal, while the CISF and BSF participated with marching units, bands, and camel-mounted troops, adding colour and pride to the celebrations
CRPF Assistant Commandant Simran Bala created history at the Republic Day parade held on January 26 on Kartavya Path in New Delhi, as she led an all-male contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). At just 26 years of age, she became the first woman officer to command a group of over 140 male personnel during the country’s annual national celebration.
Hailing from Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, Simran Bala also marked another milestone by becoming the first woman from her district to join the CRPF as a commissioned officer
Her achievement was widely seen as a proud moment for her home region and for women serving in uniform across India.
Bala was commissioned into the CRPF in April 2025 after clearing the UPSC-conducted CAPF Assistant Commandants examination. She was a political science graduate from the Government College for Women in Gandhinagar, Jammu. During her training at the CRPF academy in Gurugram, she stood out for her performance and received awards for being the best officer in training and for excellence in public speaking.
Her first posting was with the CRPF’s ‘Bastariya’ battalion in Chhattisgarh, where she was involved in anti-Naxal operations. The CRPF, with a strength of nearly 3.25 lakh personnel, plays a key role in maintaining internal security, including counter-insurgency duties in Jammu and Kashmir, anti-Naxal operations, and security tasks in the Northeast.
