Sanjukta Parashar Becomes First Woman to Head CRPF CoBRA

Sanjukta Parashar, a 2006-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, became the first woman officer to head the Central Reserve Police Force’s CoBRA unit in September 2026. She took charge as Inspector General of the 10-battalion CoBRA formation from 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana.

CoBRA Unit in CRPF

CoBRA stands for Commando Battalion for Resolute Action and functions as the specialised jungle warfare and anti-Naxal unit of the Central Reserve Police Force. The unit operates as a 10-battalion force and is trained for operations in forested and difficult terrain.

Role of CoBRA in Internal Security

CoBRA battalions are deployed in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism and in forest regions reclaimed from Naxal influence. The unit has been active in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, and two battalions were also deployed in Manipur during ethnic tensions.

Sanjukta Parashar’s Service Background

Parashar has served as head of the CID wing of Assam Police and has worked in counter-insurgency operations, field policing, and national security investigations. She also served with the National Investigation Agency, which is India’s federal counter-terrorism and anti-terror investigation agency.

Important Facts for Exams

• CRPF is the Central Reserve Police Force, a central armed police force under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
• CoBRA was created for specialised operations in jungle and insurgency-affected areas.
• IPS officers are recruited through the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission.
• Assam-Meghalaya is one of the IPS cadres allotted to officers serving in the North-Eastern region.

Women in Combat and Command Roles

CRPF has been placing women officers in operational and combat-heavy appointments in recent years. Parashar’s appointment is part of this pattern of assigning women officers to leadership posts in central armed police forces.