CRPF Assistant Commandant Simran Bala: Political science graduate who grew up a stone's throw away from the border

Assistant Commandant Simran Bala, on Monday, will become the first female in the CRPF officer rank from the border district of Rajouri to lead a contingent in the Republic Day parade. She will lead an all-male contingent of the Central Reserve Police Force—the country's largest paramilitary force—on Kartavya Path.

Nowshera, Assistant Commandant Simran Bala's native village, is only a few kilometres from the international border. While there have been instances when women CRPF officers commanded various Republic Day contingents, this is the first time that a female officer will command a party of more than 140 male personnel during the annual national event, news reports confirmed.

Simran Bala's uncle Shanti Bhushan, a retired soldier, told PTI that her parents, Srishta Devi and Vinod Chowdhary, deserve full credit for their support, guidance, and constant motivation, which inspired her to serve the nation. Other members of her family also shared their emotions as they claimed the moment was one of immense pride. Bala's achievement has brought honour not only to their household but to the entire district and is an inspiration to the youth in border areas, especially girls, they added.

"Her journey from the border village of Nowshera to Kartavya Path has been challenging, but she has made us all proud," her sister Shail Bala was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The CRPF officer is a graduate in Political Science from the Government College for Women in Jammu's Gandhi Nagar. She was commissioned into the force in April 2025 and her first posting was in the 'Bastariya' battalion in Chhattisgarh, tasked to undertake anti-Naxal operations, they said. She was accorded the award for the best officer in training and public speaking subjects during her training at the CRPF Academy in Gurugram after she qualified for the CAPF Assistant Commandants exam conducted by the UPSC.

"I want to tell all parents to support their daughters. Initiatives like 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' by Prime Minister Narendra Modi are showing results, and daughters are moving ahead in every field — they just need encouragement and support," her mother Srishta Devi told the news agency.

A total of 29 aircraft — 16 fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 MKI and Jaguar; four transport aircraft, including C-295; and nine helicopters — will be part of the two-phase flypast at the Republic Day parade, with a total of eight formations. The main theme of the parade is '150 years of Vande Mataram', and it will span around 90 minutes.