New Delhi, Jan. 22 -- Assistant commandant Simran Bala, a 26-year-old officer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), will lead an all-male marching contingent at the Republic Day parade on January 26, officials said, marking a first for the country's largest central armed police force and a milestone in the gradual reshaping of leadership norms within uniformed services. Bala, who hails from Nowshera in J&K's Rajouri district, was selected after a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation that included weeks of rehearsals, full-dress drills and command assessments along Kartavya Path. She will command a contingent of more than 140 male personnel drawn from operational units of the CRPF. Bala described the opportunity as both an honour and a res...