Senior IPS Officer Sonali Mishra Appointed as First Woman Director General of Railway Protection Force (RPF).
Appointment
In July 2025, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of senior IPS officer Sonali Mishra as the first-ever female Director General (DG) of the Railway Protection Force (RPF). This historic appointment marks a significant milestone in the inclusion of women in top leadership roles within India's central armed police forces.
- Sonali Mishra, a 1993-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Madhya Pradesh cadre, will take charge as DG of RPF following the superannuation of incumbent DG Manoj Yadava on July 31, 2025. She will hold the position until her own retirement on October 31, 2026. At the time of her appointment, she was serving as Additional Director General (ADG) (Selection) in Madhya Pradesh Police.
- Sonali Mishra has held several pioneering and senior leadership roles, notably becoming the first woman in July 2021 to command a Border Security Force (BSF) unit along the India–Pakistan border in Punjab. She has also served as Inspector General (IG), heading the BSF Intelligence Wing in Kashmir Valley, displaying a record of strategic policing in highly sensitive regions.
Main Point :- (i) In 2023, Mishra was appointed as ADG of Eastern Command of the Border Security Force (BSF) based in Kolkata, West Bengal, further cementing her reputation as one of the most experienced women officers in India’s paramilitary forces. Her leadership experience in volatile and complex zones played a crucial role in her selection for RPF.
(ii) She has received prestigious awards, including the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPMDS) in 2020 while serving as IG of BSF Intelligence and Kashmir Frontier, and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PMMS) in 2021 for her leadership in the Punjab Frontier. These recognitions highlight her long-standing service excellence and operational success.
(iii) The Railway Protection Force (RPF), headquartered in New Delhi, operates under the Ministry of Railways (MoR) as a central armed police force. Established under the RPF Act of 1957, it is tasked with the protection of railway property and passengers. In 1985, the RPF was officially designated as an “Armed Force of the Union,” making it a critical force for transport security in India.
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