In a first, RPF women officers to take centre stage at R-Day parade

Last year's parade, too, witnessed history as it was the first time an all-women contingent of the Delhi Police marched down the Kartavya Path.

5 min readNew DelhiJan 17, 2025 03:51 AM IST

Kartavya Path, Railway Protection Force, Republic Day, Republic Day parade, women officers R-Day parade, delhi news, India news, Indian express, current affairs

For the first time, two women officers will lead the band, while two others will lead the contingent. Express photo

On a bitter winter morning in the Capital, as a thick blanket of fog engulfs India Gate, a group of women steps out on the parade ground, their boots stomping the mist-covered roads of Kartavya Path. Pooja Meena, a 29-year-old officer, inspects the rifles lined up for rehearsal with a steady gaze.

As she adjusts the sword on her waist, a mischievous grin appears on Meena’s face. “The swords are carried by officers, whereas the women in the band carry a cane,” she says.

It is a moment of great pride, a historic feat for the Railway Protection Force (RPF). For the first time in the country’s history, four women will take centre stage in the Republic Day parade, leading not only the march, but also the band. While two officers will lead the band, two others will lead the contingent.

“We’re small in number, but we’re louder than all the men behind us,” Meena quips.

Last year’s parade, too, witnessed history as it was the first time an all-women contingent of the Delhi Police marched down the Kartavya Path.

After a long and tiring rehearsal, the women gather around a table, sitting side by side, a stark contrast to the men lined up behind them. Between them, a cluster of rifles awaits the day they will march along the streets of the national Capital.

At the table, Meena, savours a simple breakfast of upma with boiled eggs, occasionally biting into an apple.

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She glances at her peers — seven women chosen for this historic moment. “There is competition between the seven of us because only four will be selected. But we are still united,” she adds, emphasising their bond despite the competition. “The last time we met was during a training in Hyderabad,” Meena says, her eyes sparkling with a mix of nostalgia and pride.

Further, Meena reflects on the journey that brought her here. The officer, who hails from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh, grew up with a deep admiration for her older brother, a police officer. “I fell in love with my brother’s uniform when I was young. That pushed me to serve my country. I wanted to enter the police force, but God had different plans. I got selected for the RPF and am currently posted in Ratlam,” she explains.

Shikha Kumari, 28, from Munger district of Bihar is also at the table. Coming from a family of farmers, Kumari never imagined she would make it this far. “I used to cycle 11 kilometres every day to attend my coaching classes,” she recalls. “I was determined to wear the uniform, just like my brother who serves in the Army.”

Yet, it was not only the family connection that fueled her ambition. “Bacche bacche ko wardi se pyaar hota hai, unme se me bhi thi (Every kid falls in love with the uniform, and I was one of them),” Kumari smiles.

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Growing up in a small village, her family faced pressure from their community to marry her off. But Kumari’s parents always encouraged her to pursue her dreams. “I’m ecstatic that today, I have got this opportunity to be part of the parade,” she says. “My parents always gave me the freedom to fly, and here I am today.”

Another woman, 30-year-old Anjali Jadawn from Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, shares a similar story of resilience. As a child, she spent hours in her room watching the Republic Day parades online, inspired by the discipline and structure she saw. “I always wanted to enter the force and serve my country,” Jadawn says. “This is what I saw growing up in my house. That discipline was always inculcated in me.”

Today, after five years in the RPF, she is about to march in the same parade.

For Pritti Kumari, a 30-year-old from Patna, this moment is especially poignant. “I am a platoon commander in the parade,” she says with pride. “My father always said, why couldn’t women enter the parade earlier? It was always a dream. And today, it came true.”

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Raised in a family where no woman had ever worked outside the home, Kumari’s parents ensured their daughters had access to education and opportunities. “My father is a farmer and mother a housewife, but they made sure all the girls at my home studied and worked,” she says.

Sumati Shandilya, the Inspector General at RPF, terms the shift a milestone. “The Railway Protection Force contingent is taking part in the Republic Day Parade this year. We have a 144-member-strong contingent, and of the three sub-contingent commanders, we have two women sub-inspectors,” he explains.

“The RPF is the only central force with the maximum representation of women in our ranks — 9%, up from 3% before 2020. This is a deliberate move to increase women in our force because we have one of the largest public interfaces among central forces, deployed at every railway station,” he adds.

The sound of their marching boots, steady and strong, is not just a rhythmic beat but a declaration of change.

Vidheesha Kuntamalla

Vidheesha Kuntamalla is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in New Delhi. She is known for her investigative reporting on higher education policy, international student immigration, and academic freedom on university campuses. Her work consistently connects policy decisions with lived realities, foregrounding how administrative actions, political pressure, and global shifts affect students, faculty, and institutions. Professional Profile Core Beat: Vidheesha covers education in Delhi and nationally, reporting on major public institutions including the University of Delhi (DU), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Jamia Millia Islamia, the IITs, and the IIMs. She also reports extensively on private and government schools in the National Capital Region. Prior to joining The Indian Express, she worked as a freelance journalist in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for over a year, covering politics, rural issues, women-centric issues, and social justice. Specialisation: She has developed a strong niche in reporting on the Indian student diaspora, particularly the challenges faced by Indian students and H-1B holders in the United States. Her work examines how geopolitical shifts, immigration policy changes, and campus politics impact global education mobility. She has also reported widely on: * Mental health crises and student suicides at IITs * Policy responses to campus mental health * Academic freedom and institutional clampdowns at JNU, South Asian University (SAU), and Delhi University * Curriculum and syllabus changes under the National Education Policy Her recent reporting has included deeply reported human stories on policy changes during the Trump administration and their consequences for Indian students and researchers in the US. Reporting Style Vidheesha is recognised for a human-centric approach to policy reporting, combining investigative depth with intimate storytelling. Her work often highlights the anxieties of students and faculty navigating bureaucratic uncertainty, legal precarity, and institutional pressure. She regularly works with court records, internal documents, official data, and disciplinary frameworks to expose structural challenges to academic freedom. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2024 & 2025) 1. Express Investigation Series JNU’s fault lines move from campus to court: University fights students and faculty (November 2025) An Indian Express investigation found that since 2011, JNU has appeared in over 600 cases before the Delhi High Court, filed by the administration, faculty, staff, students, and contractual workers across the tenures of three Vice-Chancellors. JNU’s legal wars with students and faculty pile up under 3 V-Cs | Rs 30-lakh fines chill campus dissent (November 2025) The report traced how steep monetary penalties — now codified in the Chief Proctor’s Office Manual — are reshaping dissent and disciplinary action on campus. 2. International Education & Immigration ‘Free for a day. Then came ICE’: Acquitted after 43 years, Indian-origin man faces deportation — to a country he has never known (October 2025) H-1B $100,000 entry fee explained: Who pays, who’s exempt, and what’s still unclear? (September 2025) Khammam to Dallas, Jhansi to Seattle — audacious journeys in pursuit of the American dream after H-1B visa fee hike (September 2025) What a proposed 15% cap on foreign admissions in the US could mean for Indian students (October 2025) Anxiety on campus after Trump says visas of pro-Palestinian protesters will be cancelled (January 2025) ‘I couldn’t believe it’: F-1 status of some Indian students restored after US reverses abrupt visa terminations (April 2025) 3. Academic Freedom & Policy Exclusive: South Asian University fires professor for ‘inciting students’ during stipend protests (September 2025) Exclusive: Ministry seeks explanation from JNU V-C for skipping Centre’s meet, views absence ‘seriously’ (July 2025) SAU rows after Noam Chomsky mentions PM Modi, Lankan scholar resigns, PhD student exits SAU A series of five stories examining shrinking academic freedom at South Asian University after global scholar Noam Chomsky referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi during an academic interaction, triggering administrative unease and renewed debate over political speech, surveillance, and institutional autonomy on Indian campuses. 4. Mental Health on Campuses In post-pandemic years, counselling rooms at IITs are busier than ever; IIT-wise data shows why (August 2025) Campus suicides: IIT-Delhi panel flags toxic competition, caste bias, burnout (April 2025) 5. Delhi Schools These Delhi government school grads are now success stories. Here’s what worked — and what didn’t (February 2025) ‘Ma’am… may I share something?’ Growing up online and alone, why Delhi’s teens are reaching out (December 2025) ... Read More

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