SENIOR IPS officer Sanjukta Parasor, also known as the "Iron Lady of Assam" for her counter-insurgency work in the Northeast, has taken charge as Inspector General of the Central Reserve Police Force's elite CoBRA unit, becoming the first woman officer to head the specialised jungle-warfare force.
Parasor, a 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, brings extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations, field policing and national security investigations. The CRPF headquarters issued the appointment order last week. Parasor succeeds 1996-batch IPS officer Danesh Rana as the IG, CoBRA.
"This is the first time that the 10-battalion-strong CoBRA of the CRPF will be headed by a woman officer," a senior officer said. Two CoBRA units were recently deployed by the CRPF to check armed violence in Manipur.
CoBRA, or Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, is one of CRPF's most specialised operational formations. Raised for high-risk missions in jungle and guerrilla warfare environments, the force is trained for long-range patrols, intelligence-based operations, ambushes and counter-ambushes and operations in areas where improvised explosive devices pose a major threat.
The force has been deployed extensively in anti-Maoist operations across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra, where commandos operate in dense forests and difficult terrain. Officials said CoBRA's work requires officers with strong field orientation, operational judgement and the ability to coordinate closely with other security agencies. The Ministry of Home Affairs credits the battalions with successful intelligence-based jungle warfare and guerrilla operations against Naxals, which led to the end of Maoist violence in the country this March.
Parasor's career has closely mirrored these requirements. During her early postings in Assam, she served in insurgency-affected areas and handled assignments involving armed militant groups, volatile law-and-order situations and difficult terrain. Her work in these areas, particularly her active role in field operations, earned her public recognition and the title "Iron Lady of Assam".
Images of Parasor on social media carrying an AK-47 while accompanying security personnel during counter-insurgency operations had earlier drawn national attention.
Symbolism meets substance. CoBRA is not a desk command — it is 10 battalions living in forests tracking IEDs and Maoist squads. Appointing a woman who carried an AK-47 in Makum in 2008, served in NIA, and earned her spurs in Assam's insurgency peak, breaks the glass ceiling where it is thickest: combat leadership. For CRPF, which has struggled with women in operational roles beyond law-and-order, this signals that experience in jungle warfare is gender-neutral. As Maoist area shrinks but Manipur simmers, her Assam experience will be tested.