The Indian government has appointed senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla as the Director-General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which is responsible for guarding India’s borders with Nepal and Bhutan. Shukla will be the first woman to lead the paramilitary force, which has a strength of over 90,000 personnel.
Shukla is a 1988-batch IPS officer from the Maharashtra cadre and has served in various capacities during her career. She has previously held key positions such as the Additional Director-General of Police (ADGP) and the Commissioner of Police in Mumbai. Shukla has also been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
The SSB is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and is responsible for maintaining peace and security in the border areas of India. It was created in 1963 and is headquartered in New Delhi. The SSB operates along the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders and has the task of preventing illegal activities such as smuggling, trafficking, and infiltration.
Shukla’s appointment comes at a time when the SSB is facing a number of challenges, including the ongoing border disputes with Nepal and China. The force has also been involved in a number of successful operations against terrorist activities in the region.
Speaking on her appointment, Shukla said that she is honored to be given the opportunity to lead the SSB and will work towards making the force more efficient and effective. She added that the SSB has a crucial role to play in ensuring the security of India’s borders and that she will work closely with her team to achieve this goal.
Shukla’s appointment has been welcomed by many in the security establishment, who see it as a recognition of her abilities and experience. The move is also seen as a step towards increasing the representation of women in leadership positions in India’s security forces.