It was on February 3, 2016, that IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram assumed charge as the Director General, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and became the very first woman in India to head a paramilitary force.

Right from the beginning of her career, Archana left her mark everywhere she went. She gives the credit for the same to her upbringing. Recalling her childhood in a small district in UP, she shared in an interview with DD’s talkshow Tejasvini, “At a time when education was a distant dream for girls, my father not only encouraged me to pursue it but also gave me the confidence to find my footing in an unconventional profession.”

She grew up with the dream of making a difference and aspiring to become an IPS or IAS officer. “I knew I did not want a job where all I cared about was the monthly paycheck. I truly wanted to make a difference,” says Archana.

She was appointed to the Indian Police Service after clearing her civil services exam and was allotted the Tamil Nadu Cadre.

She shares, “When I joined the Hyderabad Police Academy, I was the only woman in my batch. I was nervous and awkward too at times. But the support of my batchmates, as well as the training staff, helped dispel all doubts. It’s been more than three decades, but still, our batch is a like a close-knitted family.”

Till date, Archana remains indebted to the support and appreciation that she received from the people in Tamil Nadu. She says, “During the course of my district training in the rural areas of Madurai, Vellore, Nilgiris, I was moved by the high regard villagers held women in. My gender became an advantage for me. When there was a law-and-order issue, there was a higher chance of the public listening to me than my other male counterparts.”

On being asked if she ever felt a bias owing to her gender, Archana says, “I think when you join a service as a newly-appointed officer, no matter what your gender, your seniors find it difficult to entrust you with responsibilities. But over time you build that trust by performing. I have always believed that leadership is more important than gender. And working in the force is all about teamwork.”

Archana was felicitated with the Police Medal for Meritorious Services in 1995 for her exceptional contribution as the SP of Vellore.

As per an India Today report, during her term as the chief of SSB “the force rescued 503 victims and arrested 147 traffickers in 2016, while 472 victims were rescued and 132 traffickers detained in 2017.”

“Our attempt is to maintain people-friendly borders but we have to ensure that undue advantage is not taken of open, porous borders. Trans-border crimes are a challenge, and the force has carried out rescue work on a large scale. We also speak to victims who reveal a lot about such traffickers. We organise theatre sessions for and by children (as counselling and awareness measures),” she said in an interview with India Today.

Archana believes that her family has played a vital role in her successful career. “Our service is very different from other forces because of the odd hours, so family support becomes very important. Whether I was serving as the district SP or the range DIG, whenever duty calls happened at odds hours, my husband would support me,” she shares.

H/T: The Better India