Senior IPS officer Sonali Mishra has been appointed as the first female Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). She will take charge of the post from incumbent Manoj Yadava, who is due to superannuate on July 31.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has officially approved the appointment of Senior IPS officer Sonali Mishra as the Director General (DG) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). According to the order issued by the Personnel Ministry, she will serve in this position until her superannuation on October 31, 2026.
Mishra will be the first woman officer to head the RPF, which is entrusted with the responsibility of security of railway property and passengers, among other duties, the officials said.
Who is Sonali Mishra?
Sonali Mishra is a 1993 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre. She is currently serving as the Additional Director General (Selection) in the Madhya Pradesh Police.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF), which she will now lead as the first woman Director General, was constituted under an Act of Parliament in 1957. Subsequently, the force was empowered to enquire, arrest and prosecute the offenders involved in unlawful possession of railway property in 1966. It was given the status of "an armed force of the Union" on September 20, 1985.
Sonali Mishra has had a distinguished career in the Indian Police Service, marked by several landmark appointments and commendations:
- In July 2021, she became the first woman commander to lead a Border Security Force (BSF) formation along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.
- She has also headed the BSF formation in the Kashmir Valley as Inspector General (IG).
- Additionally, she led the intelligence wing of the BSF and later served as the Additional Director General (ADG) in the force.
- For her exceptional service, she has been honoured with the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPMDS) and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PMMS).
(With PTI inputs)
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