‘I have a clear vision; if I accept a mission, I will do him full justice; otherwise I will leave’ – Kiran Bedi.
Kiran Bedi (born June 9, 1949) is a retired Indian Police Service officer, social activist, former tennis player, politician, and the first woman to enter the Indian Police Service (IPS). After surviving tough assignments ranging from transit posts in New Delhi, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mizoram, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Chandigarh, Director General of the Bureau of Narcotics Control for 35 years, voluntarily retired in 2007 when she held the position of Director General of the Police Research and Development Office. She laid the foundation for the establishment of two voluntary organizations: Navajyoti and India Vision Foundation with the main objective of improving the living conditions of drug addicts and disadvantaged people. Her efforts have gained national and international recognition and her organization was awarded the Serge Soitiroff Memorial. Awards by the United Nations for the prevention of drug abuse. Received several accolades for her work such as the Woman Officer Cadet of the Year Award, President’s Place Medal, Asia Region Award, Lion of the Year, Pride of India, IIT Delhi Alumni Award , the United Nations Medal, the Most Admired Woman in the Country and the Nomura Award. She is the first Indian woman to be appointed Police Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, she is one of the important members of IAC (Indian Against Corruption) along with Arvind Kejriwal and Anna Hazare . She also hosted a famous TV show ‘Aap ki Kacheri (short)’ on Star Plus channel. He introduced a series of reforms in Tihar Prison, Delhi, between 1993 and 1995, including measures such as detoxification programmes, yoga, vipassana, meditation, redress for prisoners’ grievances, and literacy programs for which he won the Ramon Magsaysay Award. and the Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarship. Even after joining the police force, he continues his studies and got Bachelor of Laws from University of Delhi and then completed his PhD from Department of Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi and his thesis topic was “Abuse of drugs and domestic violence. . She is the current Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry.
A woman of guts and courage, Bedi showed immense commitment to her profession by towing the car of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for a parking violation for which she earned the nickname ‘Crane Bedi’. In 1975, she was the first woman to lead the all-male Delhi Police contingent in the Republic Day Parade. She is among those few police officers who have taken few vacations/furloughs during her tenure.
She is a true role model for all of us.