IPS Officer Sanjukta Parashar Takes Charge as First Woman Head of CRPF's CoBRA Unit

Key facts

• Sanjukta Parashar, a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, has taken charge as Inspector General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)'s elite CoBRA unit, becoming the first woman officer to head the force.
• CoBRA, or Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, is a 10-battalion-strong specialised jungle-warfare force of the CRPF.
• Parashar succeeds 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as IG, CoBRA; the appointment order was issued by CRPF headquarters.
• Known as the 'Iron Lady of Assam', she earlier served as Deputy Inspector General in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and did her MPhil and PhD in US foreign policy.
• Her first posting was in 2008 as Assistant Commandant in Makum, Assam, and she was later posted to Udalguri.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) credits CoBRA commandos with operations against Naxals that led to the end of Maoist violence in the country in March.