Key Highlights
- Sanjukta Parasor, a 2006-batch IPS officer, has been appointed the first woman Inspector General (IG) of the CRPF's elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).
- She succeeds Danesh Rana, a 1996-batch IPS officer.
- Known as the "Iron Lady of Assam" for her counter-insurgency work in the Northeast.
- Previously served as Deputy Inspector General in the National Investigation Agency (NIA), handling terrorism and extremism-related investigations.
Significance
- A milestone in women's leadership in India's security forces, especially in specialised counter-insurgency and jungle warfare operations.
- Reflects increasing induction of women into combat-adjacent and command roles in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
About CoBRA
- Full form: Commando Battalion for Resolute Action — a specialised unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
- Purpose: Conduct jungle warfare and guerrilla operations, particularly against Maoist insurgency.
- Formation: 10 CoBRA units raised between 2008 and 2011.
- Deployment: Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected and insurgency-prone areas — Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Assam and Meghalaya.
- Role and capabilities:
- Anti-Naxal operations
- Intelligence-based missions
- Long-range patrols
- Ambush and counter-ambush operations in difficult terrains
- Personnel are selected from within the CRPF and receive intensive training in commando tactics and jungle warfare.
Related Context
- The CRPF is India's largest Central Armed Police Force, functioning under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- CoBRA is one of the CRPF's key specialised operational forces against internal security threats.
- Women officers have progressively taken leadership roles in CAPFs, including commanding CRPF units and leading deployments in conflict zones.