CRPF officer Simran Bala to lead all-male contingent at Republic Day parade

Assistant Commandant Simran Bala, a 26-year-old officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), will lead an all-male marching contingent at the Republic Day parade on January 26, marking a first for the country’s largest central armed police force, officials said.

Bala, who hails from Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, was selected after a multi-stage evaluation process that included weeks of rehearsals, full-dress drills and command assessments along Kartavya Path. She will command a contingent of more than 140 male personnel drawn from operational units of the CRPF.

“This is both an honour and a responsibility,” Bala told Hindustan Times. “We focused on team cohesion, precision and execution of commands. I hope all of this reflects on the final day.”

Leading a marching contingent at the Republic Day parade is among the most prominent ceremonial roles in India’s security forces and has traditionally been held by senior male officers. While women have previously led women-only or mixed contingents, commanding a fully male formation remains rare.

Bala joined the CRPF after clearing the Union Public Service Commission’s Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) examination on her first attempt, securing a top-100 rank. She trained at the CRPF Academy in Gurugram and was rated among the strongest performers of her batch for leadership, discipline and communication skills.

Her first operational posting was with a Bastariya battalion in Chhattisgarh in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism. Officers who served with her described her as calm and decisive, qualities that later translated into her ceremonial command role.

Raised in a border district frequently affected by cross-border firing, Bala said her upbringing influenced her career choice. She is the first woman from her district to be commissioned as a Group A officer in the CRPF.

On women’s growing role in the force, Bala said opportunities are increasingly being determined by merit rather than gender, pointing to women battalions and expanded operational roles.

Officials said her appointment reflects a broader shift within the central armed police forces toward entrusting women officers with frontline and leadership responsibilities.

Bala’s march past the saluting base during the 77th Republic Day parade is expected to draw attention not only for ceremonial precision, but also as a signal of changing leadership norms within India’s security forces.