Sanjukta Parashar Takes Charge as CRPF Inspector General

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Monday, 10 August 2026

Dr. Sanjukta Parashar, the 2006-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre popularly known as the “Iron Lady of Assam,” has been appointed as Inspector General (IG) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on central deputation. The appointment marks a significant move for the senior police officer, who has built her career around counter-insurgency operations, law enforcement and community policing.

The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the formal appointment orders on August 6, 2026. Sanjukta will now take up a senior leadership position in the CRPF, India’s largest Central Armed Police Force, and bringing years of experience in handling insurgency, law-and-order challenges and security operations.

Born on October 3, 1979, in Assam, Sanjukta comes from a family with a background in public service. Her father, Dulal Chandra Barua, worked as an engineer in the state Irrigation Department, while her mother, Meena Devi, served with the Assam Health Services.

Key Highlights:

• Sanjukta Parashar has been appointed as Inspector General in the CRPF
• She is known for leading counter-insurgency operations in Assam
• She has also promoted community policing and youth rehabilitation

Sanjukta did her schooling from Guwahati and went to Delhi for further studies. She is a graduate of the Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi with B.A. (Honors) degree in Political Science. She went on to earn an M.A. in International Relations from the School of International Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), and an M.Phil, and Ph.D. in American Foreign Policy from the same institution.

She ranked 85th All India in the Civil Services Examination 2005 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Though she had the chance to join the Indian Administrative Service, she opted for the Indian Police Service and joined on 29th August 2006. She was posted in Assam from her cadre Assam-Meghalaya and was the first Assamese woman IPS officer in Assam itself.

In 2008 Sanjukta joined the Police as Assistant Commandant in Makum. She was then posted to Udalguri where she faced a lot of ethnic tension and subsequently posted as Superintendent of Police in various districts like Jorhat and Sonitpur.

Her stint as SP of Sonitpur gained her ample recognition. She was deployed in the jungle in a highly militant environment by the factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). During her security operations, there were reports of the arrest of insurgents, the recovery of large stockpiles of arms, ammunition and explosives and the neutralization of several militants; it was reported in the period.

She has also been known as the “Iron Lady of Assam” for her personal involvement in engaging security teams in high-risk areas, such as dense forests. She was also threatened by militias on several occasions during her tenure.

In addition to the anti-insurgency operations, Sanjukta also emphasized community policing and efforts to promote closer collaboration between the administration and affected communities. She assisted medical camps, relief and outreach activities for militants and vulnerable youth to return to mainstream society.

The new posting in the CRPF brings her a new chapter in her career. Sanjukta had earlier served in the frontline policing and insurgency affected zones, and is anticipated to bring with her experience in administration and operations to her new role of the police.