Archana Ramasundaram, a 1980-batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, has
been appointed director general of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), a
para-military organization guarding the country's eastern frontiers with
Nepal and Bhutan. She is the first woman IPS officer to head SSB since
its inception in 1963 and will continue in that post till her retirement
on September 30, next year. She has replaced B D Sharma, another
official from her batch, who retired from service on January 31.
There are five paramilitary forces - SSB, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force and Indo Tibetan Border Police - and none has ever had a woman chief. Besides her, IPS officers - K Durga Prasad and K K Sharma - have been appointed directors general of CRPF and BSF, respectively.
"I am happy to head SSB and want to use my years of experience to improve the force," Archana Ramasundaram, who is attending a conference in Bhopal, told TOI over phone.
There are five paramilitary forces - SSB, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force and Indo Tibetan Border Police - and none has ever had a woman chief. Besides her, IPS officers - K Durga Prasad and K K Sharma - have been appointed directors general of CRPF and BSF, respectively.
"I am happy to head SSB and want to use my years of experience to improve the force," Archana Ramasundaram, who is attending a conference in Bhopal, told TOI over phone.