India, Jan. 21 -- As India prepares for its 77th Republic Day parade, the spotlight is on a young officer who is breaking barriers. Simran Bala, a 26-year-old Assistant Commandant from Jammu and Kashmir, will become the first woman to lead an all-male Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) contingent at the grand march on Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26, 2026.

Her achievement highlights changing norms in India's security forces, where merit and leadership are increasingly shaping opportunities.

Simran Bala hails from Nowshera, a border town in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir. She is the first woman from her district to join the CRPF as an officer. Simran cleared the UPSC Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) exam in 2023 on...